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COPmiGHT DEPOSIT. 













































BRER B’AR COME BY JESS’ A — FUSSIN’ AN’ A— CARRYIN’ ON 






Little Black Rabbit 


By 

KENNETH GRAHAM DUFFIELD 


With Illustrations By 

JOHN F. BURROUGHS 


PHILADELPHIA 


HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY 

2i 


Copyright, 1918, by Howard E. Altemus. 



APR 23 1918 

t * 

©CI.A497043 






CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PACE 

I. Little Black Babbit and the Hoop- 

Snake 9 

II. How the Whifflebat Lost His Skin. 23 

III. The Peckerwood That Wouldn’t Go 

’Way 35 

IY. The April Fool Party 51 

V. Little Black Babbit and Brer Coon Go 

Fishing 63 

YI. The Prickly Bristly Porcupine 75 

VII. Little Black Babbit Helps Brer B’ar 85 

VIII. Old Jim Crow Makes a Mistake 95 

IX. The Bee-Tree 109 

X. The Big Barbecue 123 

XI. Old Grandaddy Pickerel 139 

XII. The Chicken Thief 151 

XIII. The Bazorback Hog 163 

XI Y. The Tumble-Bug 177 

XV. The Seven-Year Locusts 189 

XYI. Old Blind Mole 203 

XVII. When the Levee Broke 217 




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Brer B’ar Come By Jess’ A-Fussin’ An’ A- 

Carryin’ On Frontispiece 

You Like to Skeer Me to Death 13 

What He Gwine Do Hex’? 27 

Brer Coon He ’Gree to Climb De Tree 39 

All of ’Em Gotta Bring Somethin’ 55 

When De Fishes Gwine Come Fer Dere Break- 

fuss 67 

Never Would ’A’ Foun’ De Back Do’ 79 

De Firs’ Person He See is Old Jim Crow 99 

Brer B’ar Look All ’Roun’ and Sniff 113 

Nary One Can Run Ez Fas’ Ez He Kin 127 

An’ He ’Low He’s De Bestes’ Fisherman 143 

Old Black Snake Look All ’Roun’ 155 

Dere Wuz Old Razorback Hog Sneezin’ 167 

Somethin’ Slippin’ Long in De Grass 181 

Li’l Black Rabbit Spy De Firs’ Locust 193 

Dere He Sets On De Top of De Groun’ 207 

An’ Sweep De Log Out in De Stream 221 














































































' 
















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LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


I 

LITTLE BLACK RABBIT AND THE HOOP-SNAKE 

L I’L BLACK RABBIT wuz de head of 
de family, an’ Mollie Cottontail wuz de 
res’ of de family, ’sousin' de chillun. 
Yassir, boss! Dere wuz some chillun: 

Dere wuz Billie Pink-Eye, 

An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 

An’ Slim Jimmie, 

An’ some what ain’t got no names, dey 
wuz so new. 

One night Li’l Black Rabbit wuz settin’ 
by de fire smokin’ ’is big black seegar, when 
he hear somethin’ come a-tearin’ th’oo de 
woods, gittin’ closer, an’ closer, an’ afore he 


9 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


kin git out o’ de cheer, here it come, bus ’in’ 
right in de do’ — swish — swash — bang — 
kerbunk! An’ in tumble Billie Pink-Eye. 

“Lawd have mercy!” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit, “doan’ do dat no mo’, Billie Pink- 
Eye; you like to skeer me to death, bus ’in’ 
in on me dat-a-way.” 

“Lemme ’lone,” says Billie Pink-Eye, 
“lemme ’lone till I ketch my bref£ — never 
wuz so skeered in all my life! Jess 
a-comin’ down de lane, by de white folks’ 
house up on de big hill, an’ li’l ole moon 
shinin’ jess ez purty, an’ Brer Bullfrog out 
in de bayou jess a-grumblin’ away to ’isself, 
when all on a sudden I hear somethin’ be- 
llin’ me a-rustlin’, an’ a-rustlin’ — sure wuz 
skeered! ’N’en I walk a li’l faster — li’l ole 
rustlin’ keep gittin’ closer an’ closer. ’N’en 
I start a-runnin’ — I run, an’ run, an’ yere 
I is.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit sort o’ cock ’is eye, an’ 
wiggle ’is lef’ ear, an’ say: “You jess run, 


10 


THE HOOP-SNAKE 


an’ run, an’ yere you is! You doan’ say 
nuthin’ ’bout li’l ole rustlin’. What dat?” 

“How I know, Black Rabbit?” says Bil- 
lie Pink-Eye. “Jess heerd li’l ole rustlin’ 
behin’ me, an’ seed somethin’ turnin’ over 
an’ over. Jess run, an’ run, an’ yere I is.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit draw ’is seegar out o’ 
’is mouf, sort o’ clear ’is th’oat, an’ start fer 
to spit in de fire. Ole Mollie Cottontail got 
’er eye on ’im, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit doan’ 
spit in no fire dat night — jess set dere 
studyin’. 

Bimeby it come bedtime, an’ Li’l Black 
Rabbit stretch ’isself good, an’ start off to 
bed. 

An’ Mollie Cottontail, she start off to bed. 

An’ Billie Pink-Eye, he start off to bed. 

An’ J ohnnie J ump-Up, he start off to bed. 

An Dottie Dimple-Nose, she start off to 
bed. 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, he start off to 
bed. 


11 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


An* Slim Jimmie, he start off to bed. 

An’ all de chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey wuz so new, dey start off to bed 
— ev’y las’ one of ’em. 

Nex’ mornin’, bright an’ early, up jump 
Mollie Cottontail an’ hustle all de chillun 
off to de white folks’ garden to see what dey 
kin fin’ fer breakfuss. ’Tain’t long afore 
dey-all comes trompin’ back loaded down 
wid cabbages an’ turnips an’ carrots an’ 
yaller yams. 

’Bout de time Mollie Cottontail git de 
table set, in come Li’l Black Rabbit wid de 
mornin’ paper, jess like white folks’ daddy, 
an’ set ’isself down in de big cheer. 

When de breakfuss done been et, an’ de 
chillun all fixin’ to run out an’ play, Li’l 
Black Rabbit lean back in ’is cheer an’ say: 

“ Billie Pink-Eye, I been studyin’ ’bout 
dat rustlin’, rollin’ t’ing what skeer you so 
bad las’ night. Ain’t been right clear in my 
min’ jess ’zackly what dat wuz.” 


12 




THE HOOP-SNAKE 


“Now it couldn’ V been no bird, kaze 
you didn’ hear no wings a-flutterin’. 

“Couldn’ ’a’ been no animal, kaze you 
didn’ hear no feets a-trompin’. 

“Couldn’ ’a’ been no fish, kaze fishes 
doan’ go on no lan’. 

“Jess one t’ing lef’ — must ’a’ been a 
snake ! 

“Couldn’ ’a’ been a whip-snake, kaze it 
didn’ whip you none. 

“Couldn’ ’a’ been a coat-snake, kaze dey 
ketches on de tail of you’ coat. 

“Couldn’ ’a’ been a garter-snake, kaze 
dey wrops ’roun’ you’ leg. 

“Couldn’ ’a’ been a milk-snake, kaze dey 
jess sucks de cows. 

“Must ’a’ been a hoop-snake, kaze dey 
lives on de side of de hill, an’ de only way 
dey gits ’roun’ is jess a-r oilin’ — dey takes 
dere tail in dere mouf an’ rolls. Ain’t got 
no feets, an’ ain’t got no wings — jess rolls. 
Sure must ’a’ been a hoop-snake I Now, 


15 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Billie Pink-Eye, how we gwine ketch dat 
hoop-snake?” 

“What you talkin’ ’bout we fer, Black 
Rabbit? I ain’t studyin’ ’bout ketchin’ no 
hoop-snake. Nossir, boss! Not me — had 
my fill of hoop-snake ; never wuz so tired of 
a snake in my whole life — doan’ wan’ to see 
’nuther hoop-snake never no mo’.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he see Billie Pink-Eye 
wa’n’t what you might call anxious fer to 
ketch Ole Hoop-Snake, so he take ’isself out 
in de backyard, an’ set ’isself down till he 
kin study out how he gwine ketch Ole Hoop- 
Snake all by ’isself. 

Whiles he settin’ dere studyin’, yere 
come Blue- Jay. 

“ Hi ! Blue- J ay, ’ ’ says Li ’1 Black Rabbit. 

“ Hi ! Black Rabbit, ’ ’ says Blue- J ay, j ess 
like white folks. 

Dey ax each ether how dey is, an’ d’rec’ly 
he motion to Blue- Jay to hop down on de 

log where he si tin’ at. 

8 


16 


THE HOOP-SNAKE 


4 4 What kin’ of terbacker you chew, Blue- 
Jay?” 

“I ain’t pertickler, Black Rabbit, any 
kin’ you got, plenty good fer me,” says Blue- 
Jay, kaze he think Li’l Black Rabbit want 
to borrer a chew, an’ he gwine beat ’im to it. 

Li’l Black Rabbit pass over ’is plug an’ 
say: “ Blue- Jay, you know Ole Hoop- 
Snake?” 

“Yassir, boss!” says Blue-Jay. “Me an’ 
’im good fren’s.” 

“Ho he chew terbacker?” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. 

“Umph-uh,” says Blue- Jay, “he doan’ 
like terbacker. All de terbacker what he 
gits he give to me — he jess crazy ’bout 
cheese.” 

Dat start Li’l Black Rabbit a-thinkin’, 
an’ purty soon up he jump an’ tell Blue- Jay 
dat he have to ’scuse ’im, kaze he got some 
business dat he gotta ’tend to right quick. 
Off fly Blue- Jay, an’ off put Li’l Black Rab- 


17 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


bit, lippity, lippity, lippity, all de way down 
to de big store. An’ what you s’pose he 
buy? He come back wid a poun’ of de 
stronges’ cheese what he kin buy, an’ wid a 
li’l ole barrel what he rollin’ in the middle 
of de road. 

Li’l Black Rabbit look all ’roun’ till he 
fin’ li’l piece o’ wood what fit in de bung- 
hole, an’ off he push de barrel down de lane 
till he come to de hill where de white folks 
lives at. ’N’en he roll de barrel up ’long- 
side de bushes, an’ march ’isself up to de 
top of de hill. 

Look all ’roun’, doan’ see nuthin’; listen 
all ’roun’, doan’ hear nuthin’; ’n’en he drop 
li’l ole piece o’ cheese here, an’ drop li’l ole 
piece o’ cheese dere, all de way down de hill 
till he come to de barrel ’longside de bushes, 
an’ in th’oo de bung-hole he squz a big, fat 
juicy piece, what he been keepin’ fer de las’. 
’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit lay down in de 
bushes an’ play like he dead, till bimeby 


18 


THE HOOP-SNAKE 


yere come Ole Hoop-Snake, wid ’is tail in 
’is mouf — jess a-r oilin’. Ole Hoop- Snake 
spy de firs’ piece o’ cheese, an’ he turn 
loose ’is tail an’ reach down an’ snap up dat 
piece o’ cheese, like ole Turkey Gobbler 
snap up a piece o’ corn. ’N’en he reach out 
an’ snap up de nex’ piece o’ cheese, an’ 
reach out an’ snap up de nex’ piece o’ 
cheese, an’ de nex’ piece o’ cheese, till he 
come plumb to de li’l ole barrel ’longside de 
bushes. Ole Hoop-Snake look ’roun’, but 
he doan’ see no more cheese; look in front 
of ’im, look behin’ ’im, look on bofe sides of 
’im, but doan’ see no mo’ cheese. He sniff, 
an’ he sniff, an’ he sniff, an’ he sure do 
smell more cheese; he keep on a-sniffin, an’ 
a-lookin’, an’ a-lookin’, an’ a-sniffin, till 
bimeby, way down in de bottom of de bar- 
rel, he spy de big, fat, juicy piece what Li’l 
Black Rabbit keep till de las’. In course 
Ole Hoop-Snake gotta git dat piece some- 
how, an’ he stretch out ’is neck, an’ keep 


2 — Little Black Rabbit 


19 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


a-stretchin’ an’ a-stretchin’, till all on a sud- 
den he slip th’oo de bung-hole — Bang! 
’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit jam de wooden 
plug what he got right in de bung-hole, an ’ 
dere Ole Hoop- Snake safe an’ soun’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit boun’ he gwine teach 
Ole Hoop- Snake a lesson. He roll de barrel 
over, an’ over, an’ over, all de way down de 
road, an’ when dey gits home Ole Hoop- 
Snake so dizzy dat when Li’l Black Rabbit 
shake ’im out of de barrel, all he kin do is 
jess lay on de groun’ an’ see what gwine 
happen nex’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit holler fer Billie Pink- 
Eye, an’ Billie Pink-Eye come a-runnin’. 
“Dere he is,” says Li’l Black Rabbit, “jess 
like I tole you.” 

’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit rub ’is han’s 
good in de dirt, an’ Billie Pink-Eye rub ’is 
han’s good in de dirt, kaze Ole Hoop-Snake 
mighty slickery. Li’l Black Rabbit grab 
Ole Hoop-Snake by de head, an’ Billie 


20 


THE HOOP-SNAKE 


Pink-Eye grab Ole Hoop-Snake by de tail, 
an’ afore you kin say “ Jack Robinson” dey 
got Ole Hoop- Snake wid a knot tie right in 
’is middle. 

He can’t git away nohow, kaze de knot 
make ’is tail so short he can’t reach it wid 
’is mouf . 

Li’l Black Rabbit keep ’im layin’ dere 
till he promise he ain’t gwine skeer nary 
one of de Rabbit family ag’in. ’N’en he un- 
tie ’im an’ turn ’im loose, an’ de las’ dey 
seen of Ole Hoop- Snake, he done kotch ’is 
tail in ’is mouf, an’ away he go rollin’ down 
de big road in a big cloud of dus\ 


21 



II 


HOW THE WHIFFLEBAT LOST HIS SKIN 

S EEMS like when Ole Man Trouble start 
arter ennybody, dere ain’t no dodgin’ 
’im nohow. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t ennymore’n got 
shet of Ole Hoop-Snake, when yere come 
’long nuther thing to pester ’im. 

Ain’t doin’ a thing, jess settin’ in ’is big 
cheer by de fire, smokin’ ’is long black 
seegar when he hear a funny li’l ole noise 
out in de back of de house. Doan’ soun’ 
like a dog, an’ doan’ soun’ like a cat, an’ 
doan’ soun’ like a fox, an’ doan’ soun’ like 
Ole Blinkin’ Squintin’ Screech-Owl — jess 
soun’ like a funny li’l ole noise. 

So Li’l Black Rabbit he slip on ’is coat, 
and pick up ’is big crooked walkin ’-stick, 
an’ creep out to see what wuz de matter. He 
look all ’roun’ de kitchen, an’ doan’ see 


23 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


nuthin’; he peek out de back do’, an’ doan’ 
see nuthin’ ’cep’ li’l ole moon jess a-shinin’ 
high up in de sky. 

“Light of de moon,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit, sort o’ studyin’. “Fine night fer to 
ketch me a li’l ole fat ’possum.” So off he 
took ’cross de meadow, an’ th’oo de wood, 
an’ over de brook, till he come to de big 
swamp. Li’l Black Rabbit turn all ’roun’, 
an’ listen all ’roun’, but he can’t ketch up 
with Ole Brer ’Possum nohow. 

’Bout dis time Li’l Black Rabbit he begin 
to git sort o’ sleepy. It long pas’ ’is bed 
time, ’bout quarter pas’ two in de mornin’, 
so down he set ’isself on a big log, fer to 
smoke ’is seegar afore he start off home. 
He strike one match, an’ it go out; strike 
’nuther match, an’ it go out. Jess goin’ to 
strike ’nuther match, when he hear some- 
thin’ ’way up in a black gum-tree. Li’l 
Black Rabbit jess keep right still an’ listen, 
an’ scrunch ’isself all up good in a li’l roun’ 


24 


THE WHIPFLEBAT 


ball; den he hear it ag’in — jess a kin’ o’ 
hummin’ noise, like somebody singin’ to 
’isself. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he stick up bofe ’is ears 
ez high ez he kin, fer to listen good, and 
what you s’pose he hear? Hear Ole Man 
Whifflebat singin’ to ’isself, jess like dis: 

“Li’l ole hole in de black gum-tree, 

Fines’ ole hole you ever did see, 

You goes right in an’ you sets right down, 
An’ you doan’ come out till de world turns 
’roun’.” 

I ’spec’ you wonder how Li’l Black Rab- 
bit knowed it wuz a whifflebat. Well, he 
knowed it, kaze it wuz a black gum-tree, an’ 
only whifflebats lives in black gum-trees, an’ 
fuss ’roun’ at quarter pas’ two in de morn- 
in’. Dat’s de only time dey comes out, an’ 
dey rustle ’roun’ till three by de clock, an’ 
den back dey pop in de hole. 

Now a whifflebat sure is a funny animal; 


25 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


it got fur like a rat, but it ain’t no rat; it 
got a head like a monkey, but it ain’t no 
monkey; an’ it got a big, bushy tail like a 
fox, but it ain’t no fox. Whifflebats lives 
on chinkopins, which is jess like chestnuts, 
only smaller, so whifflebats doan’ get much 
to eat only onc’t a year, when de chinkopins 
is ripe. De res’ of de time dey rustles 
’roun’ an’ eats what dey kin fin’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit take out ’is knife an’ 
cut a big slash in de tree, so he know it 
ag’in, an’ off he put fer home. 

Nex’ mornin’, bright an’ early, up he 
jump an’ off he run to de big wood fer to 
hunt ’im some chinkopins. It wuz late in 
de year an’ chinkopins all gone, so he doan’ 
fin’ nary chinkopin. Look all ’roun’ an’ all 
he see is Chippie Chipmunk a-settin’ on a 
pile of rocks. 

“ Hi ! Black Rabbit, ’ ’ says Chippie Chip 
munk. 

“Hi! Chippie Chipmunk,” says Li’l 


26 



' 










* 



























THE WHIFFLEBAT 


Black Rabbit. “You seen enny chinkopins 
’roun’ dis-a-way ?” 

Li ? l Ole Chipmunk say: “Go dong, Black 
Rabbit, dis ain’t de time of year fer to be 
huntin’ chinkopins. Chinkopins all gone. 
I done et ’em all up.” 

So Li’l Black Rabbit set down on a big 
log an’ begin to study how he gwine git ’im 
some chinkopins. Bimeby he git an idee, 
an’ up he jump an’ off he put to de brook, 
so he kin make ’im a chinkopin out of clay. 
When he come to de brook, dere wuz ole 
Brer Bullfrog a-settin’ on de bank grum- 
blin’ away to ’isself ’bout de water bein’ too 
cole fer to swim good. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Brer Bull- 
frog. 

“Hi! Brer Bullfrog,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. “Kin you tell me whar I kin git 
me some brown clay, please, sir?” 

Den Brer Bullfrog ax Li’l Black Rabbit 
what he gwine do wid de brown clay, an’ 


29 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Li ’1 Black Rabbit he say he want to make a 
chinkopin out o’ clay, an’ use it fer bait to 
ketch Ole Man Whifflebat. Den Brer Bull- 
frog say ef Li’l Black Rabbit wait a minit 
he dive down in de brook an’ fetch ’im up 
some clay. So Brer Bullfrog take a run- 
nin’ dive an’ — plunk! he go right in de 
middle of de water. ’Tain’t long afore up 
he come. 

“Ole Slippery Eel all curl up on de clay 
bank, an’ he say he ain’t gwine move till 
summer come an’ de water gits warm,” says 
Brer Bullfrog. 

Li’l Black Rabbit feel mighty bad ’bout 
what Brer Bullfrog say, an’ he sets down 
on a log an’ study what he gwine do nex’. 
Purty soon up he jump, an’ off he put fer 
home, lippity, lippity, lippity, jess ez fas’ 
ez he kin run. 

Bimeby back he come wid a tin cracker 
box, an’ a box of matches, an’ a string. 
’N’en he build ’im a li’l ole fire in de 


30 


THE WHIFFLEBAT 


cracker box, an’ when it git goin’ good an’ 
hot, he put de lid on — Bang! ’N’en he tie 
a string on de box, an’ let it down in de 
water right over where Ole Slippery Eel 
tak’n’ ’is sleep. Ole Slippery Eel feel de 
heat of de fire, an’ sort o’ stretch ’isself, an 7 
stir ’roun a bit. 

“ Certainly is gittin’ warm weather; must 
be summer sure,” says Ole Slippery Eel, 
an’ off he puts to git ’isself some nice fat 
worms. Soon ez Ole Slippery Eel move 
away from he clay bank, Brer Bullfrog dive 
down in de water ag’in, an’ fetch up a hand- 
ful o’ clay fer Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“ Certainly am ’bliged,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. 

“ Certainly are welcome,” says Brer 
Bullfrog. 

Dem two is mighty good fren’s, kaze dey 
done growed up togedder, an’ been in all 
sorts of debbilments when dey wuz kids. 

So Li’l Black Rabbit make ’im a clay 


31 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


chinkopin, an’ put it out in de sun fer to 
dry, an’ off he run hot-foot to de big store. 
When he git dere, de onliest thing he buys 
is a rat-trap. ’Tain’t a trap wid a snap to 
it, ner a trap wid a ketch to it; ’tain’t a tin 
trap ner a wood trap, but jess one of dese 
yere wire traps what got a hole whar you 
goes in at but you can’t come out at. Den 
he put de clay chinkopin in de trap, an’ off 
he run ’cross de meadows, th’oo de wood, 
an’ over de brook, till he come to de big 
swamp an’ de black gum-tree. 

Whiles he fixin’ de trap, Brer Coon come 
along. He ax Li’l Black Rabbit what he 
doin’ wid de trap, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit say 
he fixin’ to ketch Ole Man Whifflebat, an’ 
he want Brer Coon to put de trap up in de 
black gum-tree. Brer Coon he ’gree’ble, an’ 
he fix up de trap in de crotch of a big limb, 
an’ ’im an’ Li’l Black Rabbit set dereselves 
down fer to see what gwine happen. Dey 
watch an’ dey wait, till jess sharp at quar- 


32 


THE WHIFFLEBAT 


ter pas’ two in de mornin’, den out pop 
Ole Man Whifflebat. He look all ’roun’ dis 
side, an’ he look all ’roun’ dat side, an’ 
bimeby he spy li’l ole clay chinkopin in de 
rat-trap. It look like sho’-’nuff chinkopin 
to Ole Man Whifflebat, so he march ’isself 
right in de do’, an’ he takes a bite of dat 
clay chinkopin — 4 6 P-p-tuh ! p-p-tuh ! ’ ’ How 
he spit an’ sputter, an’ how mad he git! 
’N’en he try fer to back out of de trap, but 
he can’t back out. He try fer to wiggle out, 
but he can’t wiggle out. He try fer to 
scratch out, but he can’t scratch out nuther, 
an’ dere he stay till Brer Coon climb up in 
de black gum-tree an’ fetch ’im out. 

’Twan’t long afore Li’l Black Rabbit 
come out wid a new fur Sunday-go-to-meet- 
in’ hat. De nabers done a heap of guessin’, 
but ain’t nobody know what kin’ of fur it 
made of ’cep ’in’ Li’l Black Rabbit and 
Brer Coon — an’ dey won’t tell. 


33 











Ill 

THE PECKER WOOD THAT WOULDN’T GO ’WAY 

D E firs’ one up in de mornin’ is Mollie 
Cottontail, and she makes de fire, an’ 
puts on de kettle, an’ den she has a time. 
She roust out Billie Pink-Eye, and she 
wrastle wid Johnny Jump-Up, an’ she haul 
at Slim Jimmie, an’ she fuss at Timmie 
Tiny-Toes and Dottie Dimple-Nose, an’ all 
de chillun what ain’t got no names, dey wuz 
so new, till she gits ev’y las’ one of ’em wide 
awake an’ out o’ bed. 

By dat time Li’l Black Rabbit gits all 
waked up, an’ de whole kit an’ bang of dem 
tromps in ready fer breakfuss. 

Li’l Black Rabbit look ’roun’ at Billie 
Pink-Eye, when de breakfuss done been et, 
an’ he say: 

“How de boat gittin’ on, Billie Pink- 
Eye?” 


3 — Little Black Rabbit 


35 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


“Ain’t got no boat/’ says Billie Pink- 
Eye. 

“Must be a wheelbarrer,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. 

“Ain’t got no wheelbarrer,” says Billie 
Pink-Eye. 

“Must be a li’l ole wagon,” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. 

“Ain’t got no li’l ole wagon,” says Billie 
Pink-Eye. 

“What you hammerin’ at early in de 
mornin’, if ’tain’t no boat, an’ ’tain’t no 
wheelbarrer, an’ ’tain’t no li’l ole wagon?” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“Ain’t hammerin’ at nuthin’,” says 
Billie Pink-Eye. “Ain’t got no hammer in 
de firs’ place, an’ ain’t been hammerin’ on 
nuthin’ in de secon’ place.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he call in all de chillun, 
an’ he say: “Ef I ketches de one what’s 
doin’ dis yere hammerin’ in de mornin’, I 
gwine skin ’im, dat’s what I gwine do.” 


36 


THE PECKERWOOD 


Johnnie Jump-Up, he speak up an’ say 
’tain’t him. 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, she speak up 
an’ say ’tain’t her. 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, he speak up an’ 
say ’tain’t him. 

An’ Slim Jimmie, he speak up an’ say 
’tain’t him. 

An’ all de chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey wuz so new, dey speak up an’ 
say ’tain’t dem. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he satisfied somebody 
lyin’, an’ he ’low he gwine ketch him, but he 
gwine let de matter res’ at present. 

De nex’ mornin’, when Li’l Black Rabbit 
layin’ in de bed dr earnin’ ’bout all de cab- 
bages, an’ de radishes, an’ de lettuce, an’ de 
peas in de white folks’ garden, here come de 
hammerin’ ag’in — B-r-r-r-r-r, B-r-r-r-r-r — 
jess like dat. Up jump Li’l Black Rabbit, 
an’ he say: “ Billie Pink-Eye, you quit dat 
hammerin’, you hear me?” 


37 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


“Ain’t doin’ no hammerin’,” says Billie 
Pink-Eye. 

Li’l Black Rabbit, he holler: “Johnnie 
Jump-Up, ef you doan’ quit dat hammerin’, 
I wear you out.” 

Johnnie Jump-Up holler back he ain’t 
doin’ no hammerin’. 

All de res’ of de chillun dey hollers back 
dey ain’t none of ’em doin’ no hammerin’. 

“Ef you wants to see what’s doin’ all de 
hammerin’, stick you’ head out of de front 
winder, an’ look up, Black Rabbit,” says 
Mollie Cottontail. 

Li’l Black Rabbit stick ’is head out of de 
front winder an’ look up, an’ what you 
s’pose he see? He see Ole Red Headed 
Peckerwood jess a-goin’ it. 

“Hey, you!” says Li’l Black Rabbit 
“You wid de red topknot, you quit dat 
noise, you hear me?” 

Peckerwood, he stop ’is hammerin’, an’ 
turn ’roun’ an’ look at Li’l Black Rabbit. 


38 



TtKRR COON HE ’GBEE TO CLIMB DE TEEE. 

39 




THE PECKERWOOD 


“Hush you’ fuss, you good-fer-nuthin’ 
li’l Rabbit, you!” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he git right mad, an’ 
he holler out: “Ef you doan’ go ’way from 
here right quick, I come out dere an’ bus’ 
you wide open wid a big rock.” 

Peckerwood he jess laugh at Li’l Black 
Rabbit, an’ say: “Who you fussin’ at? 
Here I is, an’ here I stay, an’ can’t no low- 
down li’l ole rabbit chase me ’way. Jess 
foun’ a good nes’ of bugs in you’ ole rotten 
house, an’ ain’t gwine leave till I ketch de 
ve’y las’ bug in de ve’y las’ hole. How you 
like dat?” 

Li’l Black Rabbit sure is mad, an’ he rush 
down stairs, an’ rush out de do’, an’ rush 
all ’roun’ till he fin’ a pile of rocks. 

He chuck de rocks at Ole Peckerwood till 
’is arm so tired he can’t pick up ’nuther 
rock, ’n’en he quit. Ole Peckerwood have 
lots of fun, dodgin’ de rocks what Li’l Black 
Rabbit been chuckin’. 


41 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


“Res’ up, Black Rabbit, res’ up; rub you’ 
arm good, kaze I be back to-morrer;” an’ 
wid dat Ole Peckerwood fly ’way. 

Li’l Black Rabbit arm so sore from 
chuckin’, he kin hardly lif ’ ’is cup o’ coffee, 
an’ he ain’t got much int’res’ in ’is break- 
fuss nohow. 

Arter breakfuss, whiles Li’l Black Rab- 
bit settin’ out in de yard, sort o’ coolin’ off, 
here come Blue- Jay. 

“ Hi ! Blue- J ay, ’ ’ says Li ’1 Black Rabbit. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Blue- Jay. 
“Looks like you all het up dis fine morn- 
in’.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he gotta talk to some- 
body, an’ he tell Blue- Jay what a time he 
had wid Ole Peckerwood, an’ ax ’is help fer 
to git square. Blue- Jay say he doan’ want 
no truck wid Peckerwood, kaze Peckerwood 
bill too long and sharp. 

’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit he go to Brer 
Fox, an’ ax ’is help; but Brer Fox say 


42 


THE PECKERWOOD 


Peckerwood kin fly too fas’. Chippie Chip- 
munk he say Peckerwood got too much red 
on ’is head; he doan’ like a red-head nohow. 

All dat day Li’l Black Rabbit set ’roun’, 
an’ study how he gwine ketch Ole Pecker- 
wood. 

De nex’ mornin’, bright an’ early, dere 
wuz Ole Peckerwood jess a-hammerin’ on 
Li’l Black Rabbit’s house. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he put sticky flypaper 
on de place where Peckerwood workin’, but 
Peckerwood jess flop ’is wings an’ sing: 

“Worms in de tree, 

An’ de tree is tough, 

Ef you doan’ peck hard, 

You never git ’nuff. 

I see ’im in de hole, 

De son-of-a-gun, 

Jess one more peck, 

An’ out he come.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he get ’im big, fat, 


43 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


'juicy white worm, an’ put hook in ’im, like 
he gwine fishin’. 

He put de worm out whar Peckerwood 
kin see it, but Peckerwood spy de hook, an’ 
spy de line tied onto de hook. Den he hol- 
ler out, “You Black Rabbit, you, you ain’t 
got ’nufif sense fer to ketch me, nohow.” 
An’ ’way he fly, laughin’ so hard he kin 
hardly flop ’is wings. 

Whiles Li’l Black Rabbit been fussin’ 
wid Peckerwood, Ole Mister Land Turkle 
done come on de scene. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Mister Land 
Turkle. 

“Hi! Mister Turkle,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. “Kin you tell me how I gwine 
ketch dis yere Peckerwood?” 

He purty wise ole turkle, an’ he say, “Dey 
ain’t no two ways ’bout it, Black Rabbit, 
you gotta fin’ ole Peckerwood asleep, an’ 
bus’ ’im on de side of de head, an’ dat’s de 
onliest way he gwine leave you ’lone.” 


44 


THE PECKERWOOD 


“How I gwine git near ’nuff to bus’ 
’im?” says Li’l Black Rabbit. “Pecker- 
wood sleep up in de big tree, an’ you know 
I can’t climb no tree. Ef I could climb de 
tree, I bound fer to wake ’im up scramblin’ 
in de branches ; an’ ef I doan’ make no noise 
scramblin’ in de branches, never could see 
where he hidin’ in de dark nohow.” 

“Dem’s de things what you gotta study 
out,” says Ole Mister Land Turkle, an’ off 
he lumber in de bushes. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he set an’ study, an’ 
study, an’ bimeby he got a plan what he 
think gwine do de trick. 

First off, he gotta see Brer Coon fer to 
do de dimin’, kaze Brer Coon he kin slip 
’roun’ in de tree, jess like Ole Cotton-Mouth 
Moccasin, so Li’l Black Rabbit put off fer 
Brer Coon’s house ez fas’ as he kin run. 

Brer Coon he ’gree to climb de tree, an’ 
bus’ Ole Man Peckerwood on de side of de 
head, ef Li’l Black Rabbit fix it up so he 


45 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


kin see whar Peckerwood hidin’ in de dark. 
Li’l Black Rabbit ’low he done got dat part 
all fix up, an’ he tell Brer Coon to meet ’im 
down in de big swamp jess arter sundown. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he trot off home, an’ 
when he git dere he git ’im a termater can, 
like he gwine fishin’. ’N’en he hunt all 
’roun’ in de grass, till he ketch ’im whole 
mess of lightnin’ bugs, what been hidin’ 
dere waitin’ fer sundown. 

Li’l Black Rabbit take de can of bugs in 
one han’, an’ fishin’ pole in t ’udder han’, 
an’ walk off sort o’ keerless, like he gwine 
fishin’ sho’ ’nuff. When he git to de big 
swamp, he make out like he mighty tired, 
an’ set ’isself down on a big log fer to res’ 
’is legs. He act sort o’ sleepy-like, an’ 
d’rec’ly he slide off de log an’ stretch ’isself 
out like he gwine take a good nap whiles he 
got de chance. 

All dis time Li’l Black Rabbit know dat 
Peckerwood settin’ up in de tree, watchin’ 


46 


THE PECKERWOOD 


ev’y move he make. He sort o’ scrunch ’is- 
self up like he tryin’ to fin’ de bes’ way to 
git comf ’ble, an’ he knock over de termater 
can all full o’ lightnin’ bugs. 

Peckerwood keep watchin’ to see ef Li’l 
Black Rabbit notice he knock over de can, 
but Li’l Black Rabbit act like he so sleepy 
he doan’ know nuthin’, an’ d’rec’ly he play 
like he fall fas’ asleep sho’ ’nuff. 

Dat’s de chance what ole Peckerwood 
been waitin’ fer, an’ he think he play big 
joke on Li’l Black Rabbit, an’ eat up all de 
bait what he got in de can. So down he 
jump, an’ gobble up all de lightnin’ bugs, 
an’ back he fly up in de tree. ’N’en he start 
off, j ess a-h ammerin’ — B-r-r-r-r-r, 
B-r-r-r-r-r, B-r-r-r-r-r — right over Li’l 
Black Rabbit’s head. 

Up jump Li’l Black Rabbit, an’ make out 
like he skeered to death, an’ off he put th’oo 
de bushes, like he gwine fer de doctor. 
Peckerwood he laugh so hard, look like he 


47 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


gwine shake all ’is feathers out by de roots. 

’Long ’bout sundown, back come Li’l 
Black Rabbit an’ Brer Coon jess a-sneakin’ 
th’oo de wood. When it come good an’ 
dark, an’ de birds all gone to bed, dey creep 
out of de bushes, an’ creep ’long till dey 
come to de tree where Peckerwood lives at. 

“Look up in de tree, Brer Coon,” says 
Li’l Black Rabbit, “an’ see ef you see some- 
thin’.” 

Brer Coon put ’is head back an’ look up 
in de tree. 

“Lawd have mercy! Black Rabbit, what 
dat? Look like li’l ole bird all on fire!” 

“Dat Peckerwood,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. “Done tricked ’im into eatin’ whole 
termater can full o’ lightnin’ bugs, an’ all 
dem lightnin’ bugs what he et got ’im all lit 
up inside like a church.” 

Brer Coon he pick up a good stout stick, 
an’ he creep up de tree jess easy-like. He 
creep closer, an’ closer, an’ closer, but Ole 


48 


THE PECKERWOOD 


Peckerwood ain’t woke up yit. Brer Coon 
he climb out on de limb, an’ keep gittin’ 
closer, an’ closer, when all on a sudden — 
Bang! He bus’ Ole Peckerwood ’longside 
de head, like he gwine spill all his brains out 
at one lick. 

Ole Peckerwood he jess give one squawk, 
an’ fly straight up in de air, an’ if he keep 
gwine like he started, it ain’t gwine be long 
afore he fin’ he struck a mighty cole place 
up in dem ole clouds. 


49 








IV 

THE APRIL FOOL PARTY 

S EEMS like all de nabers more proud to 
come to Li’l Black Rabbit’s house dan 
enny udder house in de whole naberhood. 
Ev’y time dey have a votin’ to see who is de 
bes’ cook, Mollie Cottontail carry off de 
prize. 

What wid de Hoop-Snakes, an’ de Peck- 
erwoods, Li’l Black Rabbit been workin’ 
mighty hard lately, an’ he figger it ’bout 
time fer to have some fun. He jus’ fixin’ 
to git ready to ax Mollie Cottontail ef he 
kin have de nabers come ’roun’ some night, 
when in come Billie Pink-Eye. 

“Hi! Billie Pink-Eye,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Billie Pink- 
Eye. 

’N’en Billie Pink-Eye set ’isself down in 

51 


4 — Little Black Babbit 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


front of de fire, cock up ’is feet on de fen- 
der, an’ bite ’isself off a chew of terbacker. 

“Does you know what day wuz yis- 
tiddy?” says Billie Pink-Eye. 

“ITh-huh,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“An’ what day to-day?” 

“ITh-huh,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“An’ what day to-morrer?” 

“Umph-uh,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“To-morrer April Fool Day,” says Billie 
Pink-Eye. “An’ you promise us sho’-’nuff 
party on April Fool Day. What you gwine 
do ’bout dat?” 

“Gwine to have sho’-’nuff party,” says 
Li’l Black Rabbit. “Jess like I done tole 
you.” 

So he holler fer ole Mollie Cottontail, an’ 
tell her to git ready, kaze he gwine to have 
“big company” to-morrer. 

’N’en he holler fer: 

Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, 


52 


THE APRIL FOOL PARTY 


An’ Slim Jimmie, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 

An’ de res’ of de chillun what ain’t got 
no names, dey wuz so new. 

Li’l Black Rabbit hustle all de chillun off 
to invite de nabers to de frolic. All of ’em 
gotta bring somethin’ when dey come, an’ 
he ’low he ax Brer Fox to bring de turkey, 
An’ Brer B’ar to bring de honey, 

An’ Sis Cow to bring de buttermilk, 

An’ Brer Wolf to bring de yaller yams, 
An’ Brer Coon to bring de blackberry 
wine, 

An’ Brer Squirrel and Chippie Chip- 
munk to bring de nuts. 

Now, Brer Turkey-Buzzard, an’ Ole Man 
Skunk, dey wa’n’t invited, kaze dey ain’t 
nobody gwine stay in de same room wid 
’em. 

Bimeby de chillun come tromping back, 
an’ tell Li’l Black Rabbit all de nabers sho’ 
wuz proud to git de invite to de party, ev’ey 


53 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


one of ’em, an’ dey all done promise to bring 
what he ax fer. 

Nex’ mornin’ arter breakfuss, Li’l Black 
Rabbit set ’isself down in front of de fire 
to read de paper an’ smoke ’is seegar. Ev ’y 
now an’ den he sort o’ chuckle to ’isself 
’bout de fun he gwine have at de party, but 
he doan’ say a word to nobody. 

When he see Mollie Cottontail begin to 
dus’ off de big log, ’n’en Li’l Black Rabbit 
know it ’bout time to git ready, kaze dat’s 
de firs’ thing Mollie Cottontail do afore ev’y 
party — dus’ off de big log. 

When he see ain’t nobody lookin’, Li’l 
Black Rabbit slip out in de kitchen, an’ 
mess ’roun’ wid de stew-pan, an’ d’rec’ly he 
have somethin’ on de stove, jess a-b’ilin’ 
an’ a-bubblin’. Off he put to de cotton 
patch, lippity, lippity, lippity, jess ez fas’ 
ez dem li’l short legs kin carry ’im. When 
he git back he start more messin’, an’ what 
he make he carry down to de spring-house 


54 




















































































THE APRIL FOOL PARTY 


to cool, but he doan’ say a word to nobody. 
He ain’t set down good in de big cheer, 
when yere come Brer Fox. 

“Hi! Brer Fox,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Brer Fox. 
“ ’Fraid I gwine be late, an’ ’fraid dis yere 
big fat turkey gwine melt in de sun an’ run 
off. Sho’ is a fine big turkey.” ’N’en Brer 
Fox sorter lif ’ his lip an’ grin out of de side 
of ’is mouf. 

Den come Brer B ’ar wid de honey, 

An’ Sis Cow wid de buttermilk, 

An’ Brer Wolf wid de yaller yams, 

An’ Brer Coon wid de blackberry wine, 
An’ de res’ of de nabers wid what dey 
done promise to bring. 

Ole Brer B’ar got a mighty sharp nose, 
an’ a mighty sharp smell, an’ he sniff, an’ 
sniff, till he make sure Ole Man Skunk ain’t 
hidin’ ’roun’ in de woods nowhars. 

When de rabbit chillun done rustle 


57 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


’roun’, an’ spread all de goodies out on de 
table, Li’l Black Rabbit he jump up an’ 
’low he gwine ax de blessin’, kaze he done 
got religion down at de camp-meetin’ las’ 
week : 

“Ef ennybody gits what nobody wants, 
Jess th’ow it out de do’. 

Ef ev’ybody gits what ev’ybody wants, 
Den nobody wants no mo’.” 

Arter Li’l Black Rabbit done ax de bless- 
in’, Brer Fox nominate Brer B’ar fer to set 
at de head of de table an’ carve de turkey, 
an’ ev’ybody willin’, kaze Brer B’ar he de 
stronges’ one in de naberhood. ’N’en Li’l 
Black Rabbit he ’p’int Brer Fox to pour de 
buttermilk, 

An’ Brer Coon to pass de honey, 

An’ Billie Pink-Eye to carry ’roun’ de 
yaller yams, 

An’ Johnny Jump-Up to help crack de 
nuts, 


58 


THE APRIL FOOL PARTY 


An’ all de res’ what spry on dere legs to 
see dat ev’ybody got plenty to eat. 

Brer B’ar he stan’ up at de head of de 
table an’ thank de nabers fer de honor dey 
’lected him to, an’ ’low he gwine carve de 
turkey de bes’ he know how. Den he take 
up de big carvin ’-knife, an’ de firs’ cut what 
he make in de turkey, out jump li’l ole 
squealin’ pig an’ run plumb down de table. 
Brer B’ar he so skeered he like to jump out 
of ’is skin, an’ Brer Fox he laugh, an’ 
laugh, till he mos’ laugh ’isself sick. 

Bimeby dey gits all straightened out, an’ 
de chillun start passin’ de turkey what Brer 
B’ar been carvin’. ’N’en Brer Fox he hol- 
ler out he can’t eat turkey widout cram- 
berry sauce. In come Billie Pink-Eye wid 
de sauce. Brer Fox he take one taste an’ he 
start a-hollerin’. He holler, an’ he holler, 
an’ he jump up in de air, an’ he roll on de 
groun’, an’ off he put fer de spring-house to 
git some water. Somebody done put red 


59 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


pepper in de cramberry sauce, an’ like to 
burn Brer Fox up. Bat de time fer Brer 
B’ar to laugh, an’ he sho’ did laugh. 

Brer Wolf ’low he like glass o’ butter- 
milk, an’ de buttermilk all full of salt. De 
yaller yams all fill wid flour, an’ seem like 
ev’ybody been tryin’ to play joke on ev’y- 
body else. 

’Twa’n’t long till dey all tired of de 
laughin’, an’ de jokes, an’ Li’l Black Rab- 
bit bring on de cracklin’ bread, an’ all de 
res’ of de good things what he been savin’, 
an’ ev’ybody et till dey plumb full up. Ole 
Brer B’ar speak up and say: “ Mighty fine 
dinner you set up, Black Rabbit, an’ now 
ef I had a piece o’ candy from de big store, 
it sho’ would top de dinner off good.” 

Jess what Li’l Black Rabbit been waitin’ 
fer, kaze he know Brer B ’ar got a sweet 
toof, an’ sure gwine ax fer a piece o’ candy. 

So he sen’ Billie Pink-Eye off to de 
spring-house, an’ back he come wid de 


60 


THE APRIL FOOL PARTY 


nices’ pan of chocolate creams what you 
ever did see. 

Dat candy sho’ make Brer B’ar mouf 
water, an’ in he pop two of dem chocolate 
creams afore you kin say “Scat” to a jay- 
bird. 

Right dere whar Brer B’ar miss a bet, 
kaze de candy all full up wid cotton. 
“P-p-p-p-tuh! P-p-p-tuh!” says Brer 
B’ar. “Oh, p-p-tuh-duh! Coddan all stug 
id my moud, ad all id by teed; oh, ah, 
p-tuh!” 

An’ he look so funny clawin’ ’way at ’is 
mouf, an’ de cotton all stickin’ in ’is teeth, 
dat all de nabers jess lay back in dey cheers 
an’ laugh, an’ laugh, an’ laugh, till dey falls 
on de groun’. Right dere Ole Turkey-Buz- 
zard and Ole Man Skunk seen dere chance 
fer to git a square meal, an’ dey sho’ took it. 

By de time dey run Ole Man Turkey- 
Buzzard an’ Ole Man Skunk plumb off in 
de woods, it ’bout time to go home. De 


61 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


nabers all tells Mollie Cottontail what a fine 
cook she is, and Li’l Black Rabbit what a 
fine party he give, an’ off dey puts th’oo de 
woods, laughin’, an’ carryin’ on like dey 
was young folks on a straw ride. 


62 


Y 

LITTLE BLACK RABBIT AND BRER COON GO 
FISHING 

L I’L BLACK RABBIT ain’t seen hide 
ner hair of Brer Coon since de night 
of de April Fool Party, an’ he jess figgerin’ 
he drap in an’ see him firs’ thing in de 
mornin’, kaze him an’ Brer Coon mighty 
good fren’s, when he hear some one knock- 
in’ at de do’. He holler, “Come in,” an’ in 
come Brer Coon. 

“Hi! Brer Coon,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Brer Coon, 
“I jess step in fer to tell you howdy, an’ ax 
does you want to go fishin’ to-morrer.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit ’low he’d ruther go 
fishin’ ’n eat ’is dinner, an’ he certainly wuz 
’bliged to Brer Coon fer de invite. 

Dey fix it up fer to start off firs’ thing in 


63 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


de morning bright an’ early, an’ Li’l Black 
Rabbit he say, “I ’spec’ you-all better come 
by fer me, Brer Coon, kaze I sho’ is a heavy 
sleeper. Never kin git up in de mornin’ 
early.” 

“I reckon we better start off afore day- 
break, Black Rabbit,” says Brer Coon, 
“kaze we gotta be dere wid de worms when 
dem fishes is ready fer dere breakfuss. Ef 
I start a-chuckin’ rocks at you’ house to 
wake you up in de mornin’, I’se liable to 
break a winder, an’ den Mollie Cottontail 
she liable to fuss wid me, an’ cuss me out. 
Never do like to have nobody cuss me out 
when I’se gwine fishin’; it certainly do 
bring me bad luck.” 

’N’en Brer Coon he sugges’ dat Li’l 
Black Rabbit tie a string on ’is big toe an’ 
hang de string out of de winder, so he kin 
pull it when he come by. Li’l Black Rabbit 
’low de string hurt ’is toe. Brer Coon say 
dat he pull de string easy-like. 


64 


THE PISHING! TRIP 


“How you gwine fin’ de en’ of de string 
in de dark?” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

Brer Coon he got ’n idee, an’ he say he 
show Li’l Black Rabbit; an’ off he put in de 
bushes, an’ bimeby yere he come back wid 
one of dese yere big white squshy worms. 

“Look-a-yere, Black Rabbit,” says Brer 
Coon, an’ he stan’ off in de dark, “What 
you see in my han’?” An’ sho’ ’nuff, Brer 
Coon got one of dem glow-worms what 
shines in de dark like when you spit on you’ 
han’ an’ rub it wid de head of a match. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ’low dat do de trick, an’ 
Brer Coon promise he pull de string easy, 
kaze Li’l Black Rabbit got a sore toe. So 
dey fix up de string an’ tie de glow-worm 
fas’ on de en’ of de string, an’ Brer Coon 
he puts off home, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit he 
gits ready fer bed. 

Li’l Black Rabbit wrastle ’roun’ in bed 
consid’ble afore he gits to sleep, but 
bimeby he drap off, an’ jess ’bout ez soon ez 


65 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


he drap off he start a-dr earnin’. He dream 
he fishin’ down at de brook, an’ ain’t kotch 
nuthin’ but lots o’ li’l ole catfish. He keep 
a-ketchin’ ’em, an’ he keep a-ketchin’ ’em, 
till he git plumb ’scouraged. Jess fixin’ to 
quit, when he git a reg’lar ole sho’-’nuff 
bite. De fish pull an’ Li’l Black Rabbit 
pull, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit pull an’ de fish 
pull, an’ seem like de fish gwine pull Li’l 
Black Rabbit clean in de water an’ drown 
’im, kaze he can’t leggo. ’N’en he dream he 
holler out, “Ketch me, Brer Coon, ketch 
me! Dis yere fish gwine drown me!” 

When he holler out “Ketch me!” he fall 
plumb out of de bed — Blam! An’ he wake 
up right quick, an’ de noise wake up all de 
res’ of de folks in de house. 

Li’l Black Rabbit holler, “Help! Mur- 
der! Somethin’ got me by de toe tryin’ fer 
to pull me out de winder. Help!” 

In rush Mollie Cottontail, 

An’ Billie Pink-Eye, 


66 



5 — Little Black Rabbit 







THE FISHING TRIP 


An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 

An’ Slim Jimmie, 

An’ all de chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey wuz so new, fer to help Li’l 
Black Rabbit. 

Mollie Cottontail she grab de string 
what’s tied on Li’l Black Rabbit’s toe, an’ 
Johnnie Jump-Up run to de winder an’ look 
out, an’ what you s’pose he see? 

He see Ole Turkey-Buzzard a-jumpin’, 
an’ a-hoppin’, an’ a-floppin’, an’ a-wras- 
tlin’, away down on de groun’. 

Ole Turkey-Buzzard been p’rambulatin’ 
’roun’ in’ de dark, an’ spied de glow-worm 
an’ done et it. He swallered it, an’ when he 
fin’ it tied fas’ to de string, he can’t un- 
swaller it, an’ dat’s what all de fuss ’bout. 

By de time Li’l Black Rabbit git loose 
from de string, an’ dey done chase Ole 
Turkey-Buzzard ’way, it mos’ mornin’. 


69 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


So Li’l Black Rabbit fix ’im up a cup o’ 
coffee, an’ set down to wait fer Ole Brer 
Coon. Purty soon yere come Brer Coon, 
an’ de two of ’em start off to de fishin’ 
place. Brer Coon he travel at a fox-trot, 
an’ Li’l Black Rabbit he come ’long, lippity, 
lippity, lippity, all de way to de big brook. 

Dey baits dere hooks, an’ th’ows in de 
lines, an’ set down to see when de fishes 
gwine come fer dere breakfuss. 

Li’l Black Rabbit feel tug on ’is line, an’ 
he pulls in. Somethin’ been at de hook, an’ 
de bait all gone. 

Brer Coon feel tug on ’is line, an’ he pulls 
in. Somethin’ been at de hook an’ de bait 
all gone. 

Dat’s de way it goes till d’rec’ly Li’l 
Black Rabbit git a sho’-’nuff bite, an’ what 
you s’pose he ketch? ’Twa’n’t nuthin’ but 
ole mud-turkle. 

Brer Coon git a bite, an’ he ketch ole cat- 
fish. 


70 


THE FISHING TRIP 


Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Brer Coon so mad 
dey jess natch ’rally beat up dat li’l ole cat- 
fish till ’is eyes pop out. Li’l Black Rabbit 
say, “You good-fer-nuthin’ ole catfish, ef 
you-all doan’ keep ’way from me, I’se 
gwine beat you to a frazzle de very nex’ 
time I ketch you.” Wid dat he slam ’im 
back in de water. Li’l Black Rabbit he 
ketch a ole slip’ry, squirmin’ eel, an’ Brer 
Coon he ketch ole catfish brother. 

Brer Coon he mad like ole hen what been 
douse wid a pan o’ dishwater, an’ dey pull 
in dere lines an’ hunt fer ’nuther place to 
fish. 

Done strike a good place, an’ dey bofe on 
’em ketch string of “goggle-eyes” afore you 
kin say “Scat” to a jay-bird. Dey keep on 
a-fishin’ till dark, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit 
make a big fire, an’ Brer Coon pick out de 
bigges’ fish, an’ ’low he gwine clean ’im 
good an’ cook ’im, so dey kin have fried fish 
fer dinner afore dey start off home. 


71 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Jess when de ole “ goggle-eye’ ’ gittin’ 
good an’ brown in de pan, an’ Brer Coon 
mouf begin to water, he hear somethin’ say, 
“Ew-w-w-w, Ew-w-w-w,” out in de bushes. 

Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Brer Coon look all 
’roun’, but can’t see nuthin’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit whisper, “You s’pose 
dat a ha’nt?” 

An’ Brer Coon whisper back, “Soun’ jess 
like a ha’nt to me, Black Rabbit. I ain’t 
never seen one, but I been chase by one 
many a time. Ain’t never ketch me, an’ 
ain’t gwine ketch me dis time. Nossir, boss, 
I’se on my way an’ a-startin’ right now!” 

An’ wid dat he put out in de bushes like 
a houn’ dog arter ’im. Li’l Black Rabbit 
he grab up a big stick an’ jump behin’ a 
bush right quick. 

Ef it a ha’nt, he want to know what kin’ 
a ha’nt is livin’ in de woods, an’ skeerin’ 
folks what ain’t doin’ nuthin’ to nobody. 

What kin’ a ha’nt you s’pose come hop- 


72 


THE FISHING TRIP 


pin’ into de firelight an’ begin to gobble up 
de fish what Brer Coon done cook? ’Tain’t 
nuthin’ but Ole Blinkin’ Squintin’ Screech- 
Owl. 

When Li’l Black Rabbit see what ’twas 
dat done skeer ’em, he so mad he bus’ dat 
Ole Screech-Owl ’longside de head, an’ 
knock ’im plumb in de middle of de fire. 
Ole Screech-Owl like to put de fire out afore 
he kin git on ’is feets an’ fly ’way. 

Li’l Black Rabbit pick up de fish what he 
done ketch, an’ de fish what Brer Coon done 
ketch, an’ off he put fer home, an’ Brer 
Coon doan’ know to dis day what ’twas dat 
skeer ’im so bad, kaze Li’l Black Rabbit 
ain’t never said nuthin’ to nobody, an’ from 
de looks of things he ain’t gwine say nuth- 
in’ nuther, kaze he doan’ want Brer Coon 
to git mad wid ’im. Ef Brer Coon doan’ 
know nuthin’, Li’l Black Rabbit ’low dat 
what he doan’ know ain’t gwine hurt ’im. 


73 


VI 

THE PRICKLY BRISTLY PORCUPINE 

D OXE took Li’l Black Rabbit an’ all de 
family jess ’bout three-fo days to eat 
up all de fish what him and Brer Coon 
kotch, an’ de night dey finished de las’ fish, 
Li’l Black Rabbit lean back in ’is cheer an’ 
say: 

“Sho’ am fed up on fish; feel like I gwine 
fin’ fish-scales in my whiskers fer a month. 
Doan’ nobody say fish to me till de moon 
changes, kaze I’se jess natch ’rally tired of 
de very smell of fish.” 

Mollie Cottontail say she got ’nuf£, too; 
an’ all de ehillun seem like dey plumb wore 
out takin’ fish-bones out of dere moufs. 

Li’l Black Rabbit jess fixin’ to set ’isself 
down in de big cheer in front of de fire, 
when he hear somethin’ sort o’ scufflin’ 
’roun’ outside de do’. 


75 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


6 ‘What dat outside de do’?” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. Ain't nobody answer, jess 
keep on a-scufflin’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit jump up right quick 
an' grab de double-barrel shotgun what he 
keep handy, an’ he holler: “Ef nobody 
doan’ answer, I’se gwine turn loose dis yere 
gun an’ shoot somebody.” 

’N’en he hear li’l ole weak voice outside: 

“ Black Rabbit, open de do’ right quick, 
I’se all stuck up an’ dunno where I’se at.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit fling open de do’, an’ 
in come Brer Pox. Certainly wuz a sight ! 
Brer Pox done met up wid Ole Prickly 
Bristly Porkypine, an’ got ’isself all stuck 
full o’ bristles. Dey wuz bristles in ’is face, 
an’ bristles in ’is ears, bristles in de front 
of ’im, an’ bristles in de back of ’im. 

“Have mercy!” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 
“How come you meet up wid all de porky- 
pines in de woods all on de same day, Brer 
Fox?” 


76 


THE PORCUPINE 


“’Twa’n’t all on ’em,” says Brer Fox; 
“jess one, an’ he sho’ had some bristles — 
certainly did.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he good fren’s wid 
Brer Fox, an’ he help pull out de bristles, 
an’ he rub de places good wid a piece of fat 
meat fer to take out de soreness. 

Bimeby off goes Brer Fox home, an’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit he git ’nuther seegar out of de 
sideboard fer a good-night smoke. He jess 
light up good an’ strong, an’ set ’isself down 
in de big cheer, when “Ouch!” Up he 
jump, ’bout two-three feet in de air. 
Trouble wuz, Li’l Black Rabbit set down 
plumb on de p’int of one of dese yere 
bristles what he pull out of Brer Fox hide. 

De bristle right sharp an’ stick Li’l Black 
Rabbit good an’ plenty. 

Li’l Black Rabbit sure wuz mad an’ he 
’low jess fer dat he gwine ketch Ole 
Prickly Bristly Porkypine an’ pull all ’is 
bristles plumb out, ef it’s de las’ ac\ 


77 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Purty soon he put off to bed, an’ de nex’ 
mornin’, bright an’ early, up he jump. 
Arter breakf uss he holler f er all de chillun : 
Billie Pink-Eye, 

An’ Johnny J ump-Up, 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 

An’ Slim Jimmie, 

An’ all de chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey wuz so new. 

When he gits all de family out in de back 
yard, he ketch one of dese yere tumble-bugs 
what got pinchers like de ice-man use fer to 
carry in de ice, only not so big. 

“You chillun, you see dis yere tumble- 
bug? You all run off right quick an’ fetch 
me all de tumble-bugs you kin fin’, an’ fer 
ev’y tumble-bug you bring in, I’se gwine 
pay you one penny.” 

Off dey start jess a-scootin’, an’ Billie 
Pink-Eye in such a hurry he run spang dab 
into de big scaly-bark tree what stan’ at de 


78 



NEVEE WOULD ’A’ FOUN’ DE BACK DO’. 

79 








* 























\ 
































THE PORCUPINE 


side of de house, an’ like to bus’ out all ’is 
brains. Li’l Black Rabbit buy from de chil- 
lun all de tumble-bugs dey kin ketch, an’ 
dey ketch termater can plumb full to de top. 

Li’l Black Rabbit cut ’im big stick, an’ 
take de termater can full of tumble-bugs, 
an’ off he put ’cross de meadow, down de 
hill, th’oo de wood, till he come to de big 
swamp. 

Firs’ thing he spy is Ole Blue- Jay up in 
de tree. 

“ Hi ! Black Rabbit, ’ ’ says Blue- J ay. 

“ Hi ! Blue- J ay, ’ ’ says Li ’1 Black Rabbit. 

“Gwine fishin’ ?” says Blue-J ay. 

“Umph-uh,” says Li’l Black Rabbit, 
“ gwine call on Ole Prickly Bristly Porky- 
pine. Whar is he ? ” 

“Foller me,” says Blue- Jay. “Ole 
Porkypine jess gone in ’is front do’, ain’t 
five minutes back.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he foller ’long o’ Blue- 
Jay till dey come to Ole Porkypine ’s house. 


81 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


’N’en he thank Blue- Jay fer de trouble he 
done took, an’ say he doan’ want to keep ’im 
from ’is business. So off fly Blue- Jay, an’ 
off put Li’l Black Rabbit to see kin he fin’ 
Ole Porkypine’s back do’. He look, an’ he 
look, an’ he look, an’ never would ’a’ foun’ 
de back do’ ef Ole Porkypine hadn’ ’a’ 
stuck ’is head out to see what makin’ all dat 
noise on de roof. 

“ Hi ! Black Rabbit, ’ ’ says Porkypine. 

“Hi! you’ own self,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. “You good-fer-nuthin’ rascal. 
You done made pin-cushions out of good 
fren’ o’ mine yistiddy, an’ I’se gwine snatch 
you bald ez a watermillion, ef it’s de las’ 
ac\” 

Ole Porkypine jess laugh, an’ laugh, an’ 
laugh, an’ wid dat Li’l Black Rabbit make 
pass at ’im wid ’is big stick, but Porkypine 
too quick fer ’im, an pop ’is head back safe 
in de hole. 

Li’l Black Rabbit sort o’ grin out of de 


82 


THE PORCUPINE 


lef ’ side of ’is mouf, an’ chase ’isself right 
quick ’roun’ to de front do’, an’ down dat 
hole he dump all de termater can of tumble- 
bugs, an’ roll a big rock in de hole. ’N’en 
Li’l Black Rabbit run to de back do’. He 
spit on ’is han’s, an’ take good grip on de 
big stout stick, an’ wait fer what he know 
gwine come out. He know somethin’ gwine 
come, an’ come right quick, when de tumble- 
bugs start a-pinchin’. 

Purty soon he hear Ole Porkypine jess 
a-scoldin’, ’n’en he hear ’im jess a-cussin’, 
an’ d’rec’ly out come Ole Prickly Bristly 
Porkypine all cover over wid tumble-bugs. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ready for ’im, an’ — 
Blam! He took ’im ’longside de head, an’ 
Porkypine drop down like he fas’ ’sleep. 
When he wake up Li’l Black Rabbit done 
finish de job, an’ all Porkypine got on ’is 
back is jess big bunch tumble-bugs; ain’t 
nary bristle lef ’ on his whole body. 

It doan’ pay none of de nabers to git gay 


G — -Little Black Rabbit 


83 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


wid Li’l Black Rabbit, but it ’pears like Ole 
Porkypine was de las’ one to fin’ it out, an’ 
he had to stay hid in ’is hole fer a long time 
afore he could walk ’long de road widout 
scandalizin’ de naberhood. 


84 


YII 

LITTLE BLACK RABBIT HELPS BRER B’AR 

W HEN enny of de nabers gits in trouble 
dey comes hot-foot fer Li’l Black 
Rabbit. Ef de chillun git a colic, Li’l Black 
Rabbit gotta physic ’em. Ef de cows gits 
stuck in de mud, Li’l Black Rabbit gotta 
show how to get ’em out. Li’l Black Rabbit 
mighty good-natured ’bout it, an’ ain’t 
nary one he turn ’way from de do’ sence ’im 
and Mollie Cottontail settle down in de na- 
berhood. 

One night he wuz settin’ on de do ’-step 
smokin’ ’is big black seegar, an’ studyin’ 
’bout de craps, when Brer B’ar come by jess 
a-fussin’ an’ a-carryin’ on. 

“Hi! Brer B’ar,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. “Is you gwine somewhars, er is you 
cornin’ back?” 

“Ain’t gwine nowhars, Black Rabbit,” 
85 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


says Brer B’ar, “an’ ain’t cornin’ back. I’se 
here, an’ I’se in a heap o’ trouble.” 

“’Tain’t nuthin’,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. “Done been raised on trouble; been in 
trouble sence I wuz knee-high to a grass- 
hopper, an’ I’se gettin’ sort o’ used to it by 
dis time. What special kin’ of trouble you 
got?” 

“Gotta heap o’ trouble, Black Rabbit, 
gotta heap o’ trouble, an’ de wust one is dat 
my well done gone dry, an’ dere ain’t no 
water fer de cows, an’ de chillun all tuck 
sick, an’ my ole woman slip on a rock an’ 
bus’ ’er head wide open.” 

“Dat’s a-plenty, Brer B’ar, doan’ tell me 
no mo’ till you gits de firs’ one fix. Ef de 
well gone dry, you kin tote de water from 
dis yere spring, an’ you kin dig ’nuther 
well.” 

“How I gwine dig ’nuther well, Black 
Rabbit, when my han’s burn to de bone, tell 
me dat?” 


86 


BRER B’AR GETS HELP 


“How you burn you’ han’s?” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. 

“Burn my han’s tryin’ fer to save de 
cows when de barn burn down.” 

“Quit it,” says Li’l Black Rabbit; “quit 
dat tellin’ me so many troubles all at onc’t. 
Ef you’ han’s burn, me an’ de chillun gwine 
dig de well, an’ Mollie Cottontail she come 
over an’ nuss de sick, an’ de nabers dey all 
come an’ buil’ de new barn. Now we got 
dat all fix; when you want de well dug?” 

“Right off, quick, please sir,” says Brer 
B’ar. “Jess ez quick ez you kin, Black 
Rabbit, kaze de cows ain’t got nuthin’ to 
drink.” 

So off Brer B’ar puts fer home, an’ de 
nex’ mornin’, bright an’ early, up jump 
Li’l Black Rabbit an’ holler fer: 

Billie Pink-Eye, 

An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 


87 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


An’ Slim Jimmie, 

An’ all de chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey wuz so new. 

’N’en he tell dem to eat dere breakfuss 
right quick, kaze dey all gotta heap o’ work 
to do afore de sun go down. 

Li’l Black Rabbit gobble up some carrots, 
an’ some turnips, an’ some cabbage, an’ 
chase ’isself ’cross de meadow, down de hill, 
an’ th’oo de big wood, till he come to de 
swamp where de witch-hazel grows at. He 
pick ’im out a piece o’ witch-hazel dat bend 
nice an’ easy-like, an’ what gotta crotch 
like de li’l boy’s nigger-shooters. When he 
git back home he hunt up de almanac what 
tells when it’s de light of de moon, an’ when 
it’s de dark of de moon. Li’l Black Rabbit 
know dat ef you cuts trees in de light of de 
moon, de planks ain’t never gwine stay 
straight, but gwine twis’ an’ curl an’ be no 
good. He know de tree has to be cut in de 
dark of de moon. An’ he know ef you wants 


88 


BRER B’AR GETS HELP 


to fin’ water when you dig a well you gotta 
dig in de light of de moon, kaze de water 
rise in de light of de moon an’ fall in de 
dark of de moon. 

De almanac say it de light of de moon 
right now, an’ so Li’l Black Rabbit holler 
fer all de chillun, an’ off dey start fer Brer 
B’ar’s place. 

When de rabbit family gits to Brer 
B’ar’s place, all de nabers stan’in’ ’roun’, 
kaze somebody carry de word dat Li’l Black 
Rabbit gwine use de witch-hazel an’ dig a 
well fer Brer B’ar, an’ dey wants to see how 
de witch-hazel work fer Li’l Black Rabbit. 
’Tain’t ev’ybody ez kin use de witch-hazel. 

Sho’ ’nuff Li’l Black Rabbit got de witch- 
hazel p ’inter, an’ de nabers all crowd in 
close ez dey kin. 

“Stan’ back, you-all,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit; “stan’ back an’ gimme plenty air, 
an’ plenty room, kaze when de witch-hazel 
workin’ good I’se gotta travel fas’.” 


89 


LITTLE BLACK BABBIT 


’ITeri Li’l Black Rabbit spit on ’is ban’s, 
an’ take one en’ of de crotch in ’is lef ’ han’, 
an’ one en’ of de crotch in ’is right han’, an’ 
begin to git ready to start. 

You alius gotta say de magic words when 
you starts to use de witch-hazel, an’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit he ain’t fergit, an’ he say: 

“ Water, water in de groun’, 

Tell me whar you kin be foun’. 

Ain’t no use to play no trick, 

Kaze I got a hazel stick. 

Hazel stick it got to tell 
Whar I gwine to dig de well.” 

When Li’l Black Rabbit finish de magic 
words, he start lookin’ ’roun’ fer de like- 
liest place to strike de water. He walk, an’ 
he stop, an’ he stop, an’ he walk, so he kin 
give de witch-hazel p ’inter right good 
chance fer to do de work. When Li’l Black 
Rabbit ain’t run on no water, he gits sort o’ 
’scouraged, an’ he say to Brer B’ar: 


90 


BRER B’AR GETS HELP 


“Has de water all done run off dis yere 
plantation, er does you reckon dis witch- 
hazel p ’inter all dried up an’ ain’t no good 
nohow ?” 

“I did hear,” says Brer B’ar, “dat whar 
de witch-hazel p ’inter ain’t workin’ good, 
ef you grease it wid a piece o’ fat meat, 
it sure git busy. I ain’t never seen no one 
try it, but dat’s what my ole Mammy says.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit say he take a chance, 
an’ he grease de witch-hazel p ’inter right 
good an’ start out ag’in. An’ he ain’t f er- 
got to say de magic words when he start, 
nuther. 

Sho’ ’nuff, when he come to a likely spot 
right by de ole scaly-bark tree, de witch- 
hazel p ’inter begin to turn itself to de 
groun’. 

Brer Fox he holler out: “I seen it move, 
Black Rabbit.” 

An’ Brer B’ar he holler out: “It’s 
a- workin’, Black Rabbit, it’s a-workin’.” 


91 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


An’ all de nabers dey sets up a cheer for 
Li’l Black Rabbit. 

Li’l Black Rabbit hole up ’is han’s fer 
less noise, an’ he say: 

“ Right yere de place whar we gwine dig 
de well, an’ right yere de place whar we 
gwine fin’ de bestes’ stream o’ water what 
ennybody got in de whole naberhood.” 

’N’en he call all de chillun, an’ dey sets to 
work an’ make de dirt fly, like dey wuz dig- 
gin’ fer a pot o’ gole. 

’Bout sundown Billie Pink-Eye holler 
up: “Gittin’ close, Black Rabbit, de groun’ 
all damp.” 

An’ L’il Black Rabbit holler back : “Keep 
a-diggin’, Billie Pink-Eye, keep a-dig- 
gin’.” 

Johnnie Jump-Up holler up: “Gittin’ 
closer, Black Rabbit, I’se standin’ in mud.” 

An’ Li’l Black Rabbit holler back: “Keep 
a-diggin’, Johnnie Jump-Up, keep a-dig- 
gin’.” 


92 


BRER B’AR GETS HELP 


’N’en Dottle Dimple-Nose holler up: 
“Gittin’ right close, Black Rabbit, de water 
up to my knees.’ ’ 

Li’l Black Rabbit holler back: “Keep 
a-diggin’, Dottie Dimple-Nose, keep a-dig- 
gin’.” 

’N’en Timmy Tiny-Toes holler up: “De 
water up to my wais’, Black Rabbit, an’ 
I’se cornin’ out.” 

An’ wid dat up dey all come out ’cep ’in’ 
Slim Jimmie. 

’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit he holler down: 
“How you makin’ it down dere, Slim Jim- 
mie?” 

An’ Slim Jimmie he holler back: “De 
levee done bus’ down yere, Black Rabbit, 
an’ yere I come a-ridin’ on de high water.” 

An’ wid dat de water done riz to de top 
of de well, an’ Slim Jimmie paddlin’ ’roun’, 
like li’l ole puppy-dog what can’t swim 
good. 

Dey pulls Slim Jimmie out an’ dry ’im 
93 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


off by de big fire, an’ jess ez Li’l Black Rab- 
bit say, dat wuz de bestes’ stream o’ water 
what ennybody got in de whole naberhood, 
an’ de well ain’t gone dry to dis day. 


94 


VIII 

OLD JIM CROW MAKES A MISTAKE 

S EEMS like Brer Fox done forgot all 
’bout Li’l Black Rabbit, sence de time 
he met up wid Ole Prickly Bristly Porky- 
pine, an’ had to run to Li’l Black Rabbit 
fer to get all dem porkypine bristles pulled 
out o’ ’is hide. 

Li’l Black Rabbit sort o’ miss Brer Fox, 
kaze he like ’is company, an’ he like to play 
checkers wid ’im, an’ Brer Fox de onliest 
one in de whole naberhood what kin give ’im 
a game. 

Li’l Black Rabbit jess tellin’ Mollie Cot- 
tontail dat he believe he’ll stroll out, an’ see 
how Brer Fox makin’ it out at de new place 
whar he done moved to, an’ he ain’t hardly 
got de words out of ’is mouf when in come 
Brer Fox. 

“Hi! Brer Fox,” says Li’l Black Rab- 


95 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


bit. “Won’t you res’ you’ hat an’ coat an’ 
jine me in a glass o’ cider?” 

“Cider certainly would taste good,” says 
Brer Fox, an’ he take off ’is hat, an’ shuck 
’is coat, an’ draw a cheer up ’longside de 
fire wid Li’l Black Rabbit like he gwine 
spen’ de evenin’. 

“How you-all makin’ out, Brer Fox?” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit, while he gittin’ de 
glasses an’ pourin’ out de cider. 

“Poorly, mighty poorly, Black Rabbit. 
Ole Jim Crow got me pestered mos’ to 
death. Dat black rascal jess f oiler me 
’roun’, an’ f oiler me ’roun’, an’ fas’ ez I kin 
git de corn planted, he come ’long an’ 
scratch it up. I’se plumb wore out, dat’s 
what I is. Ain’t gwine raise no crap nohow, 
an’ if I doan’ raise no crap de cows gwine 
die; an’ ef de cows die, ain’t gwine have no 
milk; an’ ef I doan’ git no milk de chillun 
gwine starve to death; an’ ef de chillun 
starve to death, my ole woman she ” 


96 


JIM CROW’S MISTAKE 


“Hole on, Brer Fox, hole on, fer de Lawd 
sake, you’ trouble gittin’ wusser ev’y minit. 
De firs’ thing you gotta do is git shet of Ole 
Jim Crow.” 

“How I gwine git shet of dat scoun’rel? 
I’se done tried hollerin’ at ’im, an’ beggin’ 
’im, an’ coaxin’ ’im, an’ cussin’ ’im, an’ 
chuckin’ rocks at ’im, an’ shootin’ at ’im, 
an’ I done tried trappin’ ’im, but he jess set 
an’ laugh at me, an’ say, ‘ ’Tain’t nuthin’.’ ” 

“What you gwine do nex’, Brer Fox?” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“Dat’s what I come to ax you, Black 
Rabbit, what I gwine do nex’. Now, you 
got de mostes’ sense of ennybody what live 
in de naberhood, you tell me what I gwine 
do nex’.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit study fer minit, an’ he 
say: “Offer reward, Brer Fox, fer de man 
what kin git shet of Ole Jim Crow. Offer a 
good reward, an’ somebody gwine git it.” 

Brer Fox he ’low dat good idee, an’ he 


97 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


say he give ennybody share of de crap what 
kin drive off Jim Crow. 

“How much share ?” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. 

Brer Fox ’low he ’vide de crap in five 
parts, an’ give one of dem. 

“’Tain’t ’nuff,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

Brer Fox ’low he ’vide de crap in three 
parts an’ give one of dem. 

“’Tain’t ’nuff,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

Brer Fox ’low he split de crap even, ef 
ennyone kin drive off Ole Jim Crow. 

“Dat’s a-plenty,” says Li’l Black Rabbit; 
“an’ ef you’ lookin’ fer de man what gwine 
drive off Jim Crow, look right yere, Brer 
Fox, kaze yere he is.” Brer Fox made de 
barg’in, an’ he gotta stick to it. 

’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit tell Brer Fox fer 
to pick out a measure of de bestes’, whites’ 
corn what he got, an’ save it till he come. 
Brer Fox trot off home, an’ Li’l Black Rab- 
bit amble off to bed. 


98 



7 — Little 3lacTc Rabbit 


■ 



JIM CROW’S MISTAKE 


Nex’ mornin’ bright an’ early, Li’l Black 
Rabbit hunt up de white gloves what he 
alius wear to de funerals, an’ sharpen up ’is 
knife, an’ take ’isself off to de big swamp 
where de poison ivy grows at. He cut a big 
stem of poison ivy, but he mighty keerful 
to put on de gloves afore he touch de poison 
ivy. He drag de stem of ivy off home, an’ 
build big fire, an’ put on de big kettle full 
of water, ’n’en he cut de stem of ivy all up 
in li’l pieces, an’ th’ow ’em in de b’ilin’ 
water, jess like he gwine make ole-fashion 
stew. 

Bimeby de juice all stew out of de ivy 
stems, an’ de water all bile down, an’ he set 
de kettle on one side to cool. When de juice 
cool ’nuff, he pour it in de bottle what he 
got, an’ put off fer Brer Fox place, lippity, 
lippity, lippity, chucklin’ ’way to ’isself 
like he got Ole Jim Crow done beat a ’ready. 
Whiles he joggin’ ’long he run ’cross Blue- 
Jay. 


101 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


“Hi! Blue- Jay,’ ’ says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. 

“ Hi ! Black Rabbit, ’ ’ says Blue- J ay. 

Blue- Jay spy de neck of de bottle stickin’ 
out Li’l Black Rabbit’s pocket, an’ he ’low 
maybe he kin work Li’l Black Rabbit fer a 
dram of licker. 

“Jess a minit, Black Rabbit, please sir,” 
says Blue- Jay. “I’se got such a misery in 
my side, I kin hardly lif’ my lef’ wing. 
Ain’t you got somethin’ you kin gimme to 
stop de pain, Black Rabbit?” 

“You fly mighty spry when I see you,” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“An’ I got such a cramp in my lef’ leg 
dat I kin hardly hole on de tree,” says Blue- 
Jay. 

“Den I reckon you have to set on de 
groun’,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

Blue- Jay see he ain’t gwine git no dram 
from Li’l Black Rabbit, an’ he git sort o’ 
peevish. 


102 


JIM CHOW’S MISTAKE 


“Sho’ are a mean man, Black Rabbit; 
yere I is, kin hardly see out of my lef ’ eye, 
an’ you won’t do nuthin’ fer to help me.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he sort o’ laugh, kaze 
he know Blue- Jay jess puttin’ on, an’ he 
say: “What I got in dis yere bottle ain’t no 
eye-wash, Blue- Jay, an’ ain’t no liniment 
fer to cure no misery in de back, er no 
cramp in de lef’ leg. Dis yere bottle some- 
thin’ what gwine make somebody I knows 
of mighty sick.” 

Blue- Jay he fly off, an’ Li’l Black Rab- 
bit keep on to Brer Fox house. 

When he come in sight of Brer Fox place, 
de firs’ person he see is Ole Jim Crow a-set- 
tin’ on de fence. Jim Crow jump up an’ 
flop ’is wings an’ holler out: 

“Yere come de doctor, yere come de doc- 
tor; got Brer Fox feelin’ mighty sick, an’ it 
take more dan dis yere doctor to make ’im 
well.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit he pick up a rock to 
103 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


chuck at Ole Jim Crow, but Jim Crow jess 
laugh an’ fly up in de tree an’ holler back: 

4 ‘Doctor come a-runnin’, 

An’ he run right quick, 

Doctor come a-runnin’, 

Kaze Ole Fox sick. 

Doctor come a-runnin’, 

Ole Fox in bed, 

You better git busy, 

Kaze de Fox mos’ dead.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit fin’ Brer Fox all 
scrunch up in de cheer, like he los’ ’is las’ 
fren’. 

“Yere I is,” says L’il Black Rabbit. 
“Ole Jim Crow ’low he got you mighty sick, 
an’ dat I’se de doctor what you done sen’ 
fer. You git de measure of de bestes’ white 
corn what you pick out, an’ we see what we 
kin do wid Ole Jim Crow right quick.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit take de measure of 
corn, an’ soak it right good in de poison ivy 


104 


JIM CROW’S MISTAKE 


juice what he got, ’n’en he dry it over de 
fire, an’ ’low he ready fer Ole Jim Crow, 
but Brer Fox gotta come an’ plant de corn 
same ez usual, kaze Ole Jim Crow mighty 
s’picious person. 

Brer Fox he plant de corn, an’ Li’l Black 
Rabbit stan’ by de fence an’ make out like 
he tryin’ to skeer Ole Jim Crow off. Li’l 
Black Rabbit run to one en’ of de lot, an’ 
Jim Crow fly t’udder en’; Li’l Black Rabbit 
run to dat en’, Jim Crow fly t’udder en’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit make out like he plumb 
wore out, an’ Jim Crow start a-scratchin’. 

He gobble up de firs’ piece of corn so fas’ 
he ain’t taste nuthin’, de nex’ piece of corn 
taste kind o’ funny, but Jim Crow in a 
hurry, an’ he swaller it right quick. De 
nex’ piece of corn he roll ’roun’ in ’is mouf, 
an’ it taste so bad he spit it out on de 
groun’. ’Tain’t no use, kaze Ole Jim Crow 
done been kotch wid de firs’ piece of corn 
what he et. 


105 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Li’l Black Rabbit know he got Ole Jim 
Crow, an’ got ’im good. 

“How you like de doctor, Jim Crow? 
Doan’ reckon you steal enny corn out of dis 
patch no mo’.” 

Jim Crow set right still, studyin’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit, an’ purty soon he feel ’isself 
a-swellin’ an’ a-swellin’, kaze de poison 
juice what Li’l Black Rabbit put in de corn 
start a-workin’. 

Firs’ he swell up in ’is lef ’ eye, ’n’en he 
swell up in ’is right eye, an’ swell up in ’is 
body, till d’rec’ly he look like one of dese 
yere balloons what de white folks’ boys gits 
at de State fair, only he’s black. He swell, 
an’ he swell, an’ he git so big dat all on a 
sudden he jess bus’ wide open. An’ when 
he bus’, he bus’ so hard ain’t nuthin’ lef’ of 
Ole Jim Crow ’ceptin’ jess two-three black 
feathers floatin’ ’roun’ in de wind. 

An’ dat fall, when de corn git ripe, an’ de 
punkins all turn yaller, Brer Fox ain’t fer- 


106 


JIM CROW’S MISTAKE 


got what a good fren’ Li’l Black Rabbit 
been to ’im, an’ he load up a big wagon, an’ 
carry Li’l Black Rabbit more corn an’ 
punkins dan Li’l Black Rabbit an’ all de 
chillun kin eat in a year. 


107 









IX 


THE BEE-TREE 

D EM li’l Rabbit chillun plays so hard all 
day long dat, when night come, seems 
like dey ought to be mighty glad to slip off 
to bed easy-like. 

But ’tain’t so, nossir, boss. Ev’y night 
Mollie Cottontail gotta chase ’em off to bed. 
Firs’ she try coaxin’ ’em, ’n’en she try driv- 
in’ ’em, an’ finally she start fussin’ at ’em. 
When she start fussin’ dey knows dey bet- 
ter go, an’ go right quick. 

“Ef you chillun doan’ git in bed dis 
minit, I’se gwine skin you. Scat! Every 
las’ one o’ you, kaze you-all got to be up 
bright an’ early in de mornin’. I’se gwine 
to make some rock soup, an’ somebody gotta 
hustle ’roun’ an’ git me what goes in it.” 

When Mollie Cottontail talk dat-a-way 
all de chillun know she mean it. 


109 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


An’ Billie Pink-Eye, he hustle off to bed. 

An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, he hustle off to 
bed. 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, she hustle off to 
bed. 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, he hustle off to 
bed. 

An’ all de chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey wuz so new, dey hustle off to 
bed. 

Dey all gone ’scusin’ Slim Jimmie, an’ he 
slip up jess easy-like, an’ climb up in Li’l 
Black Rabbit’s lap, kaze he’s de favorite, 
an’ Mollie Cottontail she think he’s de 
beautes’ one of de whole lot. 

De nex’ mornin’ bright an’ early, Mollie 
Cottontail roust all de chillun out o’ bed, 
an’ hustle ’em off to de white folks’ garden 
fer to git what goes in de rock soup. An’ 
Slim Jimmie she sen’ down to de big brook 
to fetch a big roun’ white stone. 

Bimeby here dey come : 


110 


THE BEE-TREE 


Billie Pink-Eye, he got head o’ cabbage 
under each arm. 

Johnnie Jump-Up, he got a big bunch o’ 
carrots. 

Dottie Dimple-Nose, she got armful o’ 
turnips. 

Timmie Tiny-Toes, he got a mess o’ 
onions. 

An’ all de chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey all got armful o’ somethin’. 

“Lawd, have mercy!” says Mollie Cot- 
tontail. “I done f ergot de four-leaf clovers 
fer to season de soup. Billie Pink-Eye, 
you run down in de meadow right quick, an’ 
hunt ’roun’ till you fin’ me a han’ful of 
four-leaf clovers.” 

’N’en Mollie Cottontail wash off de big 
’roun’ white stone right good an’ put it in 
de big kettle what she got settin’ on de fire 
full o’ hot water. When de water b’ilin’ 
good, she put in de carrots, an’ de turnips, 
an’ de onions, an’ de truck what de chillun 


111 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


what ain’t got no names done brung. ’N’en 
she put in big chunk o’ meat, an’ she let de 
whole mess bile, an’ bile, an’ bile, till it git 
good an’ done. 

’Bout de time de soup bile a-plenty, in 
come Billie Pink-Eye wid de four-leaf clo- 
vers, an’ when Mollie Cottontail git de soup 
season right, it ready to dish out. 

Billie Pink-Eye got ’im a tin bucket, an’ 
stan’ ready fer ’is share. 

An Johnnie Jump-Up he ready fer ’is 
share. 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, she ready fer 
her share. 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, an’ Slim Jimmie, 
an’ all de chillun what ain’t got no names, 
dey all ready fer dere share. 

When all de chillun been help, an’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit an’ Mollie Cottontail et what 
dey want, ain’t nary drap of soup lef ’ in de 
kettle, only big roun’ white stone down in 
de bottom, an’ nobody ain’t know to dis day 


112 



BREK B’AR LOOK ALL 'ROUN’ AND SNIFF. 

113 



THE BEE-TREE 


why Mollie Cottontail got to start wid big 
roun’ white stone — but dat’s de secret, an’ 
so ’tis. 

Ennyhow, Li’l Black Rabbit ’low dat it 
mighty good soup, but he gotta go an’ ketch 
’im a mess o’ fish fer supper, so off he puts, 
lippity, lippity, lippity, down de meadow, 
an’ th’oo de wood, till he come to de big 
swamp. 

While he studyin’ whar de likeliest place 
fer de fish, somethin’ come a-buzzin’ — 
“B-z-z-z-z, B-z-z-z-z — Zip!” An’ when it 
say “Zip,” somethin’ sting ’im on de lef’ 
ear, an’ somethin’ sting ’im on de right ear, 
an’ what you s’pose it wuz? It wuz little 
Ole Honey-Bee. 

Now Honey-Bee doan’ sting wid ’is 
mouf, an’ doan’ sting wid ’is leg, an’ doan’ 
sting wid ’is wings; he stings wid ’is tail, 
an’ he sure can sting. 

Li’l Black Rabbit’s ears begin to hurt 
right bad, an’ begin to swell up right bad, 


8 — Little Black Rabbit 


115 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


an’ off he puts to git ’im some mud. Mud 
is de bestes’ thing what a rabbit knows to 
take out de pain when he gits hurt. 

Dere he wuz a-settin’ in de mud-bath an’ 
a-plasterin’ ’is ears wid mud, when ’long 
come Ole Sis Cow. When she see dem great 
big ears what Li’l Black Rabbit got stickin’ 
out o’ de mud, she think fer sure Ole Man 
Mule got bogged down in de swamp an’ fix- 
in’ to drown, so off she puts fer help. While 
she gone, yere come Ole Gruntin’ Pig, an’ 
he think Ole Man Mule been took wid a fit, 
an’ fall in de swamp an’ can’t git out, an’ 
off he puts fer help. 

Den yere come ’long Ole Brer B’ar. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Brer B’ar — 
you see Brer B’ar got mighty sharp eyes, 
an’ he knowed it wuz Li’l Black Rabbit jess 
ez soon ez he puts ’is eye on ’im. “Is you 
doin’ dis on a bet, or is you takin’ mud-baths 
fer you’ rheumatism?” 

“Hi! Brer B’ar,” says Li’l Black Rab- 


116 


THE BEE-TREE 


bit. “Nossir, I ain’t doin’ dis on no bet, an’ 
I ain’t doin’ dis fer no rheumatism; I’se 
jess a-doin’ it kaze it feels good on my ears. 
Dat mis ’able Ole Honey Bee done stung me 
on bofe of ’em, an’ de mud takin’ de swell- 
in’ down. Yere I is an’ yere I stays till dem 
ears feels like dey belongs to me.” 

Whiles dey settin’ talkin’, yere come Sis 
Cow wid Ole Man Bull an’ all de little heif- 
ers, an’ yere come Ole Gruntin’ Pig wid 
Mis’ Sow an’ all de piggy-wigs fer to help 
Ole Man Mule. 

When dey see fer sho’ ’twas Li’l Black 
Rabbit, dey all roll over on de groun’ an’ 
laugh, an’ laugh, an’ laugh. Li’l Black 
Rabbit he can’t stan’ fer nobody to laugh at 
’im, an’ off ’im an’ Brer B’ar puts th’oo de 
bushes lickety split, like dey gwine to a fire. 

Bimeby dey come to de place whar Li’l 
Black Rabbit been stung at. 

“Yere it is,” says Li’l Black Rabbit, 
“yere’s de ve’y identicul place whar I wuz 


117 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


settin’ when dat triflin’, no- ’count Honey- 
Bee light on my ear.” 

Brer B’ar look all ’roun’ an’ sniff, an’ 
sniff, an’ sniff. 4 4 Seems like I smell 
honey,” says Brer B’ar, an’ wid dat he sniff 
some more. D’rec’ly Li’l Black Rabbit spy 
de big roun’ hole in de top of a black gum- 
tree, an’ he notice de bees a-flyin’ in an’ out 
of de hole, an’ a-buzzin’, an’ a-hustlin’ 
’roun’, like de niggers in a cotton patch 
when de boss man watchin’. 

“Lawd have mercy! Brer B’ar,” sing 
out Li’l Black Rabbit. “Yere a sho’-’nuff 
bee-tree.” An’ he p’int out de hole to Brer 
B’ar. ’N’en dey bofe keep right still, an’ 
listen kin dey hear de workin’ song what de 
honey-bees sing in ev’y bee-tree when dey 
makin’ honey: 

“Work all day, 

N ever kin play, 

Storin’ up honey, 

Kaze we built dat way.” 


118 


THE BEE-TREE 


When dey hears de song dey know fer 
certain dat it a real, sho’-’nuff, hones ’-to- 
goodness bee-tree, all chock full of honey. 
Off dey puts fer home, Li’l Black Rabbit to 
call all ’is chillun, an’ Brer B’ar to git de 
big wash-boiler to ketch de honey. 

By de time Brer B’ar gits back, Li’l 
Black Rabbit got all de chillun makin’ 
swamp-fire to smoke out de bees, kaze 
smoke make de bees sleepy, an’ dey can’t 
sting when dey sleepy. Ev’ybody know rab- 
bits can’t climb trees, an’ so Brer B’ar had 
to climb de tree an’ scoop out de honey. 

When de honey been scoop out, an’ Brer 
B’ar git back safe to de groun’, widout up- 
settin’ de wash-boiler, de question come up 
how dey gwine ’vide de honey. Li’l Black 
Rabbit want de mos’, kaze he been stung on 
bofe ’is ears, an’ he foun’ de bee-tree in de 
firs’ place; Brer B’ar he want de mos’, kaze 
it ’is wash-boiler, an’ he done de climbin’ 
an’ de sniffin’ in de secon’ place. 


119 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Whiles dey ’sputin’, yere comes Blue- J ay. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Blue-Jay. 

“Hi! Blue- Jay,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. “You jess in time to settle de ques- 
tion.” So dey tell Blue- Jay de question, 
an’ he ’cide dat de bes’ way is fer Li’l Black 
Rabbit to take all de honey an’ put it in ’is 
spring-house to keep cool; ’n’en fer Li’l 
Black Rabbit to have a party, an’ invite all 
de nabers, an’ use de honey on de prize 
waffles what only Mollie Cottontail kin 
make. Dey ’gree dat’s de fines’ way, an’ 
dey fix de day, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit an’ de 
chillun tote off de honey an’ put it in de 
spring-house. 

When de big day come, an’ all de nabers 
settin’ ’roun’ de table wid Brer B’ar at de 
head, in come Billie Pink-Eye wid a big 
plate full of smokin’ hot waffles. 

’N’en Billie Pink-Eye he start on de lef ’ 
side of de table, an’ pass de waffles to all de 
nabers; an’ de waffles las’ till he come to 


120 


THE BEE-TREE 


Brer Wolf, what sit nex’ to Brer B’ar, an’ 
Brer Wolf he got de las’ waffle, an’ Brer 
B’ar gotta wait till de nex’ time. 

’N’en Billie Pink-Eye start on de right 
side of de table, an’ pass de waffles to all de 
nabers, an’ de waffles las’ till he come to 
Brer Fox, what sit nex’ to Brer B’ar, an’ 
Brer Fox he got de las’ waffle, an’ Brer 
B’ar gotta wait till de nex’ time. 

An’ so it go till Brer B’ar he set up a 
howl dat de waffles runs out jess when dey 
gits to ’im, an’ he ain’t had nary waffle yit. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he holler fer Mollie 
Cottontail to fix up a nice big plate special 
fer Brer B’ar, an’ sen’ ’em in right quick. 

So in come Billie Pink-Eye wid a big 
plate special for Brer B’ar, an’ what you 
s’pose ? By de time Brer B ’ar git de waffles 
de nabers done et up all de honey, an’ all 
dat’s lef’ is jess de smell what stay in de 
pitcher, an’ de smell mighty poor eatin’ fer 
a man what’s ez hungry ez ole Brer B’ar. 


121 








X 


THE BIG BARBECUE 


RTER Mollie Cottontail gits all de chil- 



XjL lun to bed dese summer nights, her an’ 
Li ’1 Black Rabbit used to sit out under de 
big bush in de cool of de evenin’, an’ figger 
’bout de chillun. 

“Mos’ on ’em bad,” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit, “an’ de res’ wusser.” 

“’Tain’t so,” says Mollie Cottontail; 
“ain’t no wusser dan you an’ Jimmie Coon 
when you wuz li’l. Ev’y bit of debbilment 
in de whole naberhood you two wuz up to. 
You an’ ’im done got over it, an’ I reckon 
our chillun gwine git over it, ef you give ’em 
time.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit sort o’ yawn, an’ ’low 
mebbe dat’s so, when in de gate yere come 
Ole Brer Bullfrog wid two hops an’ a jump. 
Ef you ever notice a bullfrog, dat’s de way 


123 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


he travel, two hops an’ a jump, an’ ef he 
keeps on long ’nuff, he boun’ to git whar 
he’s gwine. 

“Hi! Brer Bullfrog,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. 

“Hi! Black Rabbit,” says Brer Bull- 
frog; an’ wid dat he jump up on li’l ole 
stool what Li’l Black Rabbit keeps by de 
fire f er to put ’is feets on. 

“What you doin’ out dis time o’ night?” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“Jess p’r ambulatin’ ’roun’, Black Rab- 
bit,” says Brer Bullfrog, usin’ big words 
like he alius does. ’N’en dey talks ’bout de 
weather, an’ dey talks ’bout de craps, an’ 
dey talks ’bout mos’ ev-ythin’, ’cep ’in’ what 
Brer Bullfrog really got on ’is min’. 

Brer Bullfrog say he gotta hop along 
home, kaze Mis’ Bullfrog waitin’ up fer 
’.im, an’ he sort o’ clear ’is th’oat; he doan’ 
say “Er-hum,” like de res’ of de folks; he 
say “ Jigger-jigger-room,” jess like dat. He 


124 


THE BIG BARBECUE 


sort o’ clear ’is th’oat an’ he say: “Mos’ 
fergot to tell you, Black Rabbit, dat we 
gwine to have a bobby cue nex’ week, an’ we 
like mighty well to have you jine de party.” 
Li’l Black Rabbit say dat soun’ mighty 
good to ’im, an’ how much de invite gwine 
cos’ ’im. Jess what Brer Bullfrog been 
leadin’ up to, an’ he ’low Brer B’ar done 
give dollar, an’ Brer Fox give six bits, an’ 
Brer Coon give fo’ bits, an’ de res’ give 
what dey could. 

Li’l Black Rabbit say he give fo’ bits, 
jess like Brer Coon, kaze ’im an’ Brer Coon 
dey are sort o’ partners, an’ dey alius go 
fishin’ togedder. 

When de big day come fer de bobbycue, 
all de animals wuz dere, ’scusin’ Brer 
Turkey-Buzzard, what ain’t been axed, an’ 
Ole Man Skunk, what ain’t been axed, kaze 
none of de animals ain’t willin’ to set ’long- 
side ’em. Dese two ain’t had no invite to 
de bobbycue. 


125 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


De judge sets up on de big platform an’ 
’low dere’s gwine be a prize fer de fas’es’ 
man in de runnin’ race, an’ a prize fer de 
man what gits th’oo firs’ in de pertater race, 
an’ a prize fer de stronges’ man in de 
pullin’ match. 

Brer Fox he ’low dey ain’t nary one kin 
run ez fas’ ez he kin. 

Brer Coon he ’low dey ain’t nary one kin 
pick up de pertaters ez quick ez he kin. 

Brer B’ar he ’low dey ain’t nary one kin 
pull ez hard ez he kin. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t open ’is mouf to 
nobody. 

When it come time fer de runnin’ race, 
ev’ybody done back out kaze dey skeered of 
Brer Fox. De judge ’low he has to give de 
prize to Brer Fox, kaze nobody run ’gainst 
’im. ’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit he holler out : 
“Jess a minit, Mister Judge! Please sir! 
I ain’t feelin’ right smart dis mornin’, an’ 
I got a misery in bofe my legs, but I ain’t 


126 






i 









THE BIG BARBECUE 


gwine to let Brer Fox have a walk-over. Ef 
you hole de race jess a minit till I gits on 
my runnin’ shoes, I gwine to give Brer Fox 
work-out ennyhow.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit gits on ’is runnin’ 
shoes, an’ Brer Fox gits on ’is runnin’ 
shoes, an’ dey git on de line ready fer de 
race. 

“Is you ready?” says de judge. 

“Jess a minit,” says Li’l Black Rabbit; 
“my shoestring done come untie.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit reach down like he 
gwine tie ’is shoestring, an’ when ain’t no- 
body lookin’, he drap two of dese yere li’l 
ole dry peas in Brer Fox shoe. Brer Fox 
he jumpin’ ’roun’ all de time so fas’ he 
doan’ notice nuthin’. 

De judge shoot de pistol, an’ oft dey put 
like de houn’ dogs arter ’em. 

Brer Fox he light out like he gwine lose 
Li’l Black Rabbit firs’ turn out of de box, 
but Li’l Black Rabbit keep a-pluggin’ ’long. 


129 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Brer Fox begin to feel de peas what Li’l 
Black Rabbit put in ’is shoe, an’ he slow 
down fer to git ’em out, but he can’t stop 
kaze yere come Li’l Black Rabbit a-pluggin’ 
’long. 

Bimeby de peas make Brer Fox foot 
right sore, but he doan’ dast set down an’ 
git de peas out, kaze yere come Li’l Black 
Rabbit jess a-pluggin’ ’long. Brer Fox 
foot hurt ’im so bad, he gotta hop on three 
legs, an’ when Li’l Black Rabbit see dat, 
yere he come jess a-zoomin’, an’ de upshot 
wuz dat Li’l Black Rabbit win de prize, an’ 
Brer Fox los’ de title of champion. 

Brer Coon he get a s’picion dat Li’l 
Black Rabbit been up to some of ’is tricks, 
an’ de race ain’t on de square, kaze he know 
Li’l Black Rabbit well, an’ he know he right 
tricky man. 

Brer Coon, he ’low to ’isself dere ain’t 
nobody gwine win de pertater race but ’im, 
an’ ef dey any tricks gwine be played, he 


130 


THE BIG BARBECUE 


gwine play ’em firs’. He sneak off in de 
woods, where de pertaters been put ready 
fer de race; an’ when nobody lookin’, Brer 
Coon git some butter an’ grease all de per- 
taters right slick. Ev’ybody what got long, 
sharp claws kin hole de pertaters, an’ dem 
de kin’ of claws what Brer Coon got. Ev’y- 
body what got short, dull claws can’t git no 
hole on de pertaters, an’ dem de kin’ of 
claws what Brer Wolf an’ Li’l Black Rab- 
bit got. What you s’pose Li’l Black Rab- 
bit doin’ all dis time ? He know Brer Coon, 
jess like Brer Coon know Li’l Black Rab- 
bit; an’ all de time Brer Coon greasin’ de 
pertaters, Li’l Black Rabbit lyin’ in de 
bushes watchin’ on ’im. ’N’en Li’l Black 
Rabbit look all ’roun’ in de woods till he fin’ 
ole pitch-pine tree, an’ he smear ’is han’s 
all over wid de sticky pitch-pine gum, an’ 
jess saunter back easy-like to de judge’s 
stan’. 

De judge ’nounce de pertater race, an’ 
131 


9 — Little Black Rabbit 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Brer Coon he holler out he gwine run, an’ 
Brer Wolf he ’low he gwine run, an’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit ’low he gwine run, ef only to 
keep Brer Wolf company. 

When de judge say “G-o!” Brer Wolf 
start off wid a big jump an’ reach down 
right quick to grab a pertater. Pertater 
all slick wid grease an’ slip clean out of 
Brer Wolf’s han’. Brer Wolf try to grab 
pertater wid udder han’, an’ pertater slip 
an’ slide out of de udder han’. Brer Wolf 
look at ’is han’s, an’ ’n’en he smell ’is han’s, 
an’ he see dat de pertaters all smear wid 
butter, an’ he know he ain’t got no chance 
fer to win de race, kaze somebody been 
playin’ tricks. 

Brer Wolf got plenty sense, he has, an’ 
he quit right den an’ dere, an’ set down to 
enjoy de fun. 

Brer Coon do purty good at firs’, but 
d’rec’ly ’is han’s get so slickery he can’t 
hole de pertater long ’nuff to git ’is long, 


132 


THE BIG BARBECUE 


sharp claws in it, an’ he keep gittin’ slower 
an’ slower. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he doin’ fine, de pitch- 
pine gum stick fas’ to de pertater like houn’ 
dog to a ole ham-bone, an’ de upshot of de 
race wuz dat Li’l Black Rabbit win de 
prize, an’ Brer Coon los’ de title of cham- 
pion. 

De nex’ thing what de judge ’nounce is 
de pullin’ match. 

Brer B’ar he ac’ like he got de match 
done won, kaze he doan’ reckon nobody 
gwine pull ’gainst ’im. He ’low he jess ez 
strong dis year ez he alius been. 

He jess fixin’ to tell de judge he kin give 
’im de prize, when Li’l Black Rabbit holler 
out: 

“Jess a minit, ‘Mister Judge! Please 
sir! My feets all sore from de race wid 
Brer Fox, an’ my han’s all sore from de 
race wid Brer Coon, but ef you’ll let me set 
down on de groun’, an’ put de rope ’tween 


133 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


my knees, I’se willin’ to let all de nabers see 
how hard Brer B’ar kin pull.” 

De judge ’low dat fair ’nuff, an’ Brer 
B’ar say dat ’gree’ble to ’im. 

Li’l Black Rabbit squat down on de 
groun’ right quick, an’ say ef he kin set 
right whar he is, he ’predate it, kaze ’is feet 
hurts so bad he can’t walk a step. 

De judge ’low dat fair ’nuff, an’ Brer 
B’ar say dat ’gree’ble to ’im. 

“Th’ow me de rope, please, Mister 
Judge,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. “M y back 
hurts so bad, ef I onc’t gits up can’t never 
git back down.” ’N’en de judge th’ow Li’l 
Black Rabbit de rope. 

“I gotta dig my feets in de groun’, Mister 
Judge.” De judge ’low dat fair ’nuff, an’ 
Brer B’ar say dat ’gree’ble to ’im. 

Li’l Black Rabbit take ’is en’ of de rope 
’tween ’is knees, an’ Brer B’ar take ’is en’ 
of de rope over ’is shoulder, an’ de judge 
holler out: “Is you ready?” 


134 


THE BIG BARBECUE 


“Jess a minit,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. 
“I’se settin’ on li’l ole sharp rock, an’ I 
gotta res’ comf’ble, else I can’t give Brer 
B’ar no kin’ o’ match nohow.” 

De judge ’low dat fair ’nuff, an’ Brer 
B’ar say dat ’gree’ble to ’im. 

Li’l Black Rabbit fluff out all ’is hair, an’ 
reach ’roun’ under ’im, like he scratchin’ 
out li’l ole piece of rock, but all de time he 
tyin’ de rope ’roun’ ole cypress root, what 
he been settin’ on. ’N’en de judge holler 
out: “Is you ready?” an’ dey bofe say dey 
is, an’ de judge holler out: “Pull!” 

Brer B’ar start to walk ’way wid Li’l 
Black Rabbit, but de root helt and Li’l 
Black Rabbit doan’ budge. Brer B’ar ties 
de rope ’roun’ ’is neck like ole mule collar, 
an’ pull fer who-laid-de-rail. When Brer 
B’ar set ’is min’ to it, he sure kin pull, an’ 
when he pull, somethin’ gotta come. 

Li’l Black Rabbit feel de root a-crackin’, 
an’ he gotta think quick. 


135 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


He spy Ole Turkey-Buzzard, an’ he hol- 
ler out: “Stop ’em! Stop ’em, right quick! 
Turkey-Buzzard an’ Ole Man Skunk mess- 
in’ up de bobbycue!” 

Sho’ ’nuff, dere wuz de two of ’em up on 
de table jess a-goin’ it. 

Ev’ybody run to drive way Turkey-Buz- 
zard an’ Ole Man Skunk. When dey been 
run clean off, an’ de nabers done stop sniff- 
in’ ’bout, de judge ’cide dey had to give de 
prize to Li’l Black Rabbit, kaze Brer B’ar 
never budged ’im nohow. 

So Li’l Black Rabbit get de gole medal, 
an’ Brer B’ar los’ de title of champion. 

Brer Fox he come up, an’ feel de muscles 
of Li’l Black Rabbit’s leg, an’ he can’t un- 
derstan’ how come Li’l Black Rabbit beat 
’im runnin’. An’ Brer Coon he come up, 
an’ look at ’is claws, an’ he doan’ under- 
stan’ how Li’l Black Rabbit pick up de per- 
taters so good. 

Brer B’ar he come up, an’ look Li’l Black 
136 


THE BIG BARBECUE 


Rabbit over from top to toe, an’ shake ’is 
head. He know it wuz a trick, but he doan’ 
understan’ how Li I Black Rabbit work it. 
Brer B’ar never will understand kaze Li I 
Black Rabbit de onliest one what knows, 
an’ he ain’t gwine tell. 


137 


XI 


OLD GRAND ADDY PICKEREL 

I N course, arter Li’l Black Rabbit win de 
runnin’ match from Brer Fox, an’ de 
pertater race from Brer Coon, an’ prove 
dat Brer B’ar couldn’ pull enny harder dan 
he could, he mighty sot up, an’ de gole 
medal what he wear on ’is coat shine out 
like ole cat’s eye on a dark night. 

Seems like Li’l Black Rabbit hangin’ 
’roun’ de big store a mighty heap, an’ talk- 
in’ ’bout how fas’ he kin run, an’ how hard 
he kin pull. Ef enny one only talk long 
’nuff, he boun’ to git ’is come-upens, an’ one 
day Li’l Black Rabbit like to got his’n. 

Brer Coon jess drapped in de big store, 
on de way home from a fishin’ trip, an’ he 
’low he’s de bestes’ fisherman in de whole 
naberhood. Ain’t nobody ’spute dat. Den 
Brer Coon ’low he kin ketch a fish, clean 


139 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


’im, cook ’im, an’ eat ’im, faster dan enny 
one in de naberhood. Ain’t nobody ’spute 
dat. 

De talk kep’ on, till d’rec’ly somebody 
start talkin’ ’bout Ole Grandaddy Pickerel 
what live down in de big bayou, jess bey on’ 
de railroad bridge. 

“Dat sho’ is some fish,” says Brer Pox. 
“I ’member de day when I wuz a little fel- 
ler, dat big ole fish like to bit me on de toe, 
an’ chase me clean ’cross de bayou. Sho’ 
did cure me of goin’ in swimmin’ in dat 
place.” 

Brer B’ar ’low dat one day, when he was 
fishin’, Ole Grandaddy Pickerel must of had 
de itch, kaze he kep’ on a-scratehin’ ’is back 
on de boat till he wore all de paint off o’ one 
side. Well, de talk kep’ on, till bimeby Brer 
Coon speak up an’ say, “I bet you ain’t 
nobody in de whole naberhood smart ’nuff 
to ketch dat fish.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit was settin’ on a keg of 
140 


OLD GRAND ADDY PICKEREL 


nails, jess a-listenin’; ain’t had no part in 
de talk, jess settin’ dere listenin’, an’ wait- 
in’ fer somebody to make it wuth ’is while to 
ketch dat ole fish. Li’l Black Rabbit know 
ef de talk keep on somebody gwine let ’is 
foot slip d’rec’ly. 

“How much you bet, Brer Coon?” says 
he. “Bet you a meal sack of goobers,” says 
Brer Coon. “’Tain’t ’nuff,” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. “Bet a sack of yaller yams,” 
says Brer Coon. “Still ’tain’t ’nuff,” says 
Li’l Black Rabbit. “Bet a big barrel sor- 
ghum sweet ’nin’,” says Brer Coon. “Dat’s 
a bet,” says Li’l Black Rabbit, an’ dey bofe 
signed de paper, dat ef Li’l Black Rabbit 
ketches Old Grandaddy Pickerel by de time 
de moon gits full, Brer Coon gotta pay ’im 
a big barrel of sorghum sweet ’nin’. An’ ef 
Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t ketch de fish by de 
time de moon gits full, he gotta pay Brer 
Coon de barrel of sweet ’nin \ Dat’s de way 
de bet wuz made, an’ ’bout de time Li’l 


141 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Black Rabbit cool off a bit, he fin’ he got de 
hardes’ job on ’is han’s what he ever 
tackled. 

Ain’t nobody ever say Li’l Black Rabbit 
lay down on no job yit, an’ so he ’bliged to 
ketch de fish sho’, but he doan’ know how 
he gwine do it. ’Bout de time Li’l Black 
Rabbit gits back home, he mighty hot from 
de long walk, an’ he set ’isself down in de 
big cheer, till he kin study out some plan 
how he gwine ketch Ole Grandaddy Pick- 
erel, an’ win de barrel of sorghum sweet ’n- 
in’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit think ’bout de kin’ of 
bait fer to use, an’ he figger on hopper- 
grasses, but he ’cide dem ain’t no good. He 
figger on dem big white squashy worms wid 
de brown heads, an’ he ’cide dem ain’t no 
good. Dere he set a-turnin’, an’ a-twistin’, 
an’ a-twistin’, an’ a-turnin’, till it come 
plumb dark, an’ he ain’t enny nearer ’cidin’ 
on de bait dan when he firs’ set down. 


142 











OLD GRANDADDY PICKEREL 


He smell de corn pones bakin’ in de stove, 
an’ he smell de turnip greens a-b’ilin’ in de 
pot, an’ gits right hungry. “Hi! Mollie 
Cottontail, ain’t you got de supper mos’ 
ready ? Here I sets a- waitin’ on you till my 
stomach ’bout ’cide my th’oat been cut, an’ 
dat I ain’t never gwine eat no more, never.” 
Dat’s de way Li’l Black Rabbit talk, jess 
like all de mens folks. When dey wants 
dere supper dey wants it when dey wants 
it, an’ dat’s when dey wants it. Ain’t it de 
troof ? 

So Mollie Cottontail she wrastle ’roun’, 
an’ dish up de supper an’ holler fer de chil- 
lun; an’ yere dey all comes jess a-zoomin’: 
Dere wuz Billie Pink-Eye, 

An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 

An’ Slim Jimmie, 

An’ some what ain’t got no names, dey 
wuz so new. 


145 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


In dey comes an’ down dey sets, an’, when 
dey all th’oo, Li I Black Rabbit lean back 
in ’is cheer an’ look all ’roun’ de table. 

“You Billie Pink-Eye, you run down to 
de ice-house an’ fetch up de bigges’, cokes’ 
watermelon you kin fin’, an’ do it right 
quick, kaze all dese chillun ain’t gwine give 
me no peace ef dey doan’ have slice of 
melon to top off de supper.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit sure is a funny man, 
kaze dey ain’t nary chillun open ’is mouf 
’bout de watermelon. Li’l Black Rabbit is 
de one what wants it, but he gotta make out 
it de chillun wants it. Bimeby in come Bil- 
lie Pink-Eye wid de melon. 

‘ i Fer de Lawd sake ! Hole dis yere melon, 
Black Rabbit. My han’s mos’ froze.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit take de melon, an’ by 
de time Mollie Cottontail gits de dishes 
cleared off, Li’l Black Rabbit han’s so cole 
he ain’t got no feelin’ in ’em. Li’l Black 
Rabbit look at ’is han’s, an’ try fer to 


146 


OLD GRAND ADDY PICKEREL 


double up ’is fingers, but dey so cole dey 
stiff like ole p ’inter dog’s tail wben he spy 
flock of pa’tridges out in a fiel’. He try an’ 
he try, an’ finally he kin work de little 
finger. Den he kin work de big finger, an’ 
by de time he gits de thumbs workin’ good, 
de han’s all right. Li’l Black Rabbit et his 
slice of melon mighty slow, kaze he thinkin’ 
’bout de stiffness in his fingers from de cole. 
Bimeby he begin to smile, ’n’en he begin to 
chuckle, an’ d’rec’ly he laughin’ so hard he 
mos’ fall off ’n de cheer. Sho’ wuz thinkin’ 
’bout Ole Grandaddy Pickerel, an’ sho’ wuz 
thinkin’ ’bout a big barrel of sorghum 
sweet ’nin’ what Brer Coon done bet. Li’l 
Black Rabbit certain he foun’ de way to 
ketch de fish an’ win de bet, but dere’s only 
one way he kin make sho’, and dat is try it 
on. All de nex’ mornin’ Li’l Black Rabbit 
snoopin’ ’roun’ de big bayou, to see kin he 
fin’ de place where Ole Grandaddy Pick- 
erel sleepin’ at. 


10 — Little Black Rabbit 


147 


LITTLE BLACK BABBIT 


He keep on a-snoopin’, an’ a-lookin’, an’ 
a-lookin’, an’ a-snoopin’, till jess ’bout de 
time fer de dinner horn to blow, he spy 
Grandaddy Pickerel takin’ ’is snooze in de 
shade of de big cypress tree jess ’bove de 
bridge. He mark de place good an’ careful, 
an’ de nex’ day yere come Li’l Black Rab- 
bit pushin’ a wheelbarrer all full up wid 
chunks of ice. Li’l Black Rabbit tie a string 
on big chunk of ice, an’ let it down in de 
water real easy-like. 

Ole Grandaddy Pickerel ain’t make a 
move. He let down ’nuther chunk of ice, 
an’ he let down ’nuther chunk of ice, an’ 
d’rec’ly he got de ice all pile ’roun’ Gran- 
daddy Pickerel like he gwine bury him sho’ 
’nuff. 

Ole Pickerel keep gittin’ colder an’ 
colder, an’ stiffer an’ stiffer, an’ by de time 
he get so cole he woke up, he so stiff dat all 
he kin do is jess wiggle de tip en’ of ’is tail. 
He can’t bend to de right, an’ he can’t bend 


148 


OLD GRANDADDY PICKEREL 


to de lef’, can’t even roll one of dem big 
eyes of his’n — jess lay dere stiff an’ straight, 
an’ wait fer what gwine to happen. 

Li I Black Rabbit see dat Ole Grandaddy 
Pickerel stiff ez a board, an’ him an’ Billie 
Pink-Eye hop in de water right quick, an’ 
de firs’ thing Ole Pickerel know, he lyin’ in 
de wheelbarrer, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit totin’ 
’im off to de big store to collec’ de bet of a 
barrel of sorghum sweet ’nin’, what ’im an’ 
Brer Coon made. 


149 


XII 


THE CHICKEN THIEF 

LL de nabers say dat Li I Black Rabbit 



jess a natch ’ral-born farmer. De 
watermelons in ’is patch grow de bigges’, 
an’ ’is peaches gits ripe de quickes’; but 
when you come down to de bottom of de 
whole matter, it mos’ generally is de farmer 
what take de mos’ int’res’ in ’is farm, what 
makes de bes’ crap. 

Li’l Black Rabbit wuz proud of ’is water- 
melons, an’ proud of ’is peaches, but he 
certainly set a heap o’ store by ’is chickens. 

He traps all de minks, an’ poisons all de 
rats, an’ he tend to dem chickens jess like 
dey ev’y one ’is own chillun. 

He wuz jess fixin’ to go to bed one night, 
when he hear somethin’ out in de chicken 
yard jess a-carryin’ on. He holler out: 
“Oh, Billie Pink-Eye! Run out in de back 


151 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


yard, an’ see kin you fin’ out what makin’ 
all dat noise. Soun’ like some of de nabers 
fixin’ to have fried chicken fer dinner out 
of my chicken yard.” 

Up jump Billie Pink-Eye, an’ off he put 
to see what makin’ all de racket. In course, 
when Billie Pink-Eye start off, de res’ of 
de family gotta go, too, de whole kit ’n’ bar- 
rel of ’em. Dere wuz : 

Johnnie Jump-Up, he gotta go. 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, she gotta go. 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, he gotta go. 

An’ Slim Jimmie, he gotta go. 

An’ all de res’ of de chillun, what wuz so 
new dey ain’t got no names, dey gotta go. 

Bimeby back come Billie Pink-Eye jess 
a-prancin’. “Oh, Black Rabbit! Come 
quick ! Come a-runnin ’ ! ” 

“What all de trouble, Billie Pink-Eye?” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“You know Ole Dominecker Hen, what 
got all dem li’l chickens?” 


152 


THE CHICKEN THIEF 


“Uh-huh,” said Li’l Black Rabbit. 

6 6 Well, de hen what got all dem chickens, 
ain’t got all dem chickens/ ’ 

Lid Black Rabbit turn ’roun’ in ’is cheer 
an’ jess look at Billie Pink-Eye. “What 
kin’ of talk you call dat, Billie Pink-Eye? 
‘De hen what got all dem chickens ain’t got 
all dem chickens.’ Dat doan’ mean nuthin’ 
to me. ’ ’ 

’N’en Billie Pink-Eye say he tryin’ fer 
to tell Li’l Black Rabbit dat somebody done 
stole all dem chickens, an’ ain’t nary one of 
’em lef ’ nowhars. 

Li’l Black Rabbit sho’ ’nuff mad when 
he hear dat, kaze he been raisin’ dem chick- 
ens fer ’is own use. Up he jump an’ grab 
de double-barrel shotgun what he alius keep 
handy, an’ off he jump to see what he kin 
see. He can’t see nuthin’, an’ can’t hear 
nuthin’, ’cep’ Ole Dominecker Hen fussin’ 
’roun’ in de coop, callin’ fer dem li’l chick- 
ens of hern to come back to bed. 


153 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Li ’1 Black Rabbit git de lantern, an’ look 
all ’roun’ to see kin he fin’ any tracks what 
de thief done lef ’. Can’t fin’ no tracks, an’ 
can’t fin’ no feathers. Can’t fin’ nuthin’, 
’cept’ li’l ole mark on de groun’ like whar 
somebody been draggin’ ole dead limb. 

“ Certainly is funny,” said Li’l Black 
Rabbit. “Somebody done steal my li’l 
chickens, an’ ain’t lef’ no track, an’ ain’t 
lef’ no feathers. Can’t be ole Blinkin’ 
Squintin’ Screech-Owl, kaze dey ain’t no 
feathers. Can’t be no Skunk, kaze I cer- 
tainly can smell whar he been. Can’t be 
no Mink, kaze a Mink can’t fly, an’ dey ain’t 
no prints of ’is feets. ’Tain’t nuthin’ ’cep’ 
li’l ole scratchin’ on de groun’.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit sets down on a barrel 
an’ begin to study. 

“Lawd have mercy!” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit, “dat’s de very feller what done de 
trick; dat good-fer-nuthin’ Ole Black 
Snake what I been runnin’ ’cross out in de 


154 





THE CHICKEN THIEF 


woods. Dat’s jess de kin’ of track what dat 
rascal make ev’y place he work. Dat’s hin^ 
sho’ ’nuff, an’ now I gotta fix up a scheme 
an’ ketch dat scoun’rel or he gwine eat me 
out o’ house an’ home.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit come back in de house, 
an’ set ’isself down in front of de fire, an’ 
begin to study how he gwine trick Ole Black 
Snake. He purty wise Ole Black Snake, 
an’ he know jess what de bestes’ way to 
ketch chickens an’ birds, kaze he been 
ketchin’ ’em all ’is life, an’ ain’t never done 
a lick of work nohow. Li’l Black Rabbit 
git sort o’ sleepy, an’ purty soon he amble 
off to bed. 

De nex’ mornin’, bright an’ early, up 
jump all de chillun, an’ off dey puts fer de 
white folks* garden, ’cross de meadow, an’ 
down de lane. Bimeby yere dey come back, 
all loaded down wid cabbages, an’ turnips, 
an’ lettuces, an* yaller yams, an’ dey all sets 
down to breakfuss. 


157 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Arter breakfuss Li I Black Rabbit start 
off to de big store, an’ bimeby he come back 
wid somethin’ all done up in a paper sack. 
All mornin’ long he jess ez busy ez a bird 
dog. He fussin’ wid dis, an’ he foolin’ wid 
dat. He cuttin’, an’ he slicin’, an’ he carv- 
in’, an’ he fixin’, till it mos’ sundown. 
’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit say he gwine quit 
an’ call it a day, kaze he plumb wore out. 
Must ’a’ got de things fixed what he been 
fixin’, kaze all de time he eatin’ ’is supper, 
he sort o’ chucklin’ to ’isself. 

“Oh, Billie Pink-Eye,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit when he gits up from de table, “run 
down to de spring-house right quick an’ 
fetch me good big pan of water.” 

When Billie Pink-Eye come back, Li’l 
Black Rabbit make him carry de pan, an’ 
off dey start to de chicken coop where Ole 
Dominecker Hen live at. “What you got 
in de sack?” says Billie Pink-Eye. “Got 
somethin’ in de sack what gwine s ’prise dat 


158 


THE CHICKEN THIEF 


ole scoun'rel what been stealin’ my chick- 
ens/' says Li I Black Rabbit 

Li I Black Rabbit been makin’ things 
what look like li'l chickens. Ain't been 
makin' 'em out o' clay, an' ain’t been mak- 
in’ 'em out o' wood, an' ain't been makin' 
'em out o' stone. Been makin’ 'em out o' 
dried apples. Been cuttin', an' carvin', an' 
stickin' feathers on 'em, an' got 'em made 
so good dat when he puts 'em on de groun', 
it fool Ole Dominecker Hen, an' she start 
a-cluckin', an' a-scoldin', an' a-fussin', try- 
in' fer to make dem li'l chickens come in to 
bed. 

Li'l Black Rabbit set all de li'l April Fool 
chickens 'roun' de coop whar Ole Hen is. 
He sprinkle 'em all over good wid salt. He 
set out de big pan of water, an' 'im an' Bil- 
lie Pink-Eye hide behin' de bushes to see 
what gwine happen. 

Dey wait, an' dey watch, an' dey watch, 
an' dey wait, till long 'bout twelve o'clock 


159 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


yere come somethin’ black slippin 7 long 
easy-like, in de moonlight. Sho 7 ’miff, it 
wuz Ole Black Snake fixin 7 to git 7 im some 
more chickens, while de gittin’s good. He 
see all de li’l things settin 7 on de groun 7 
right by de coop, an 7 dey looks like sho 7 - 
’nuff: chickens to 7 im. Ole Black Snake 
look all 7 roun 7 dis side, an 7 look all 7 roun 7 
dat side, an 7 can’t see nuthin 7 , an 7 can’t 
hear nuthin 7 . 

He coil ’isself all up comf’ble like, an 7 
reach out, an 7 afore you kin say “Scat ! 77 to 
a jay-bird, he got all dem li’l chickens 
tucked ’way in ’is insides. He eat ’em so 
fas’, he ain’t taste nuthin 7 ’cep 7 feathers, 
but d’rec’ly de salt, what Li’l Black Rabbit 
put on de chickens, start a-workin 7 , an 7 
Black Snake git mighty thirsty. He look 
all ’roun 7 an 7 finally he spy de pan of water. 
“Dat’s jess de very thing I wants,” he says, 
an 7 he doan 7 stop drinkin 7 till he drink de 
pan plumb dry. 


160 


THE CHICKEN THIEF 


Ev’ybody knows dat when you puts water 
on dried apples, dey start a-swellin’ right 
off quick. Dat’s de way dem li’l chickens 
do, an’ de firs’ thing Ole Black Snake know, 
de chickens what he et done swelled up an’ 
fill ’im so full, dat all he kin wiggle is jes 
’is tail, an’ he can’t wiggle dat much. 

“I ’spec’ I got you dis time,” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit, an’ wid dat ’im an’ Billie 
Pink-Eye start a-workin’ on Ole Black 
Snake wid de big stout sticks what dey got. 
Dey beat on ’im so hard, an’ dey beat on ’im 
so long, dat Ole Black Snake like to die. 
He cry, an’ he beg, an’ he promise, an’ he 
swear, ef Li’l Black Rabbit turn ’im loose 
dis time, he ain’t gwine to steal ’nuther 
chicken de longes’ day he live. All de beat- 
in’ what Black Snake got, done broke up de 
dried apples, an’ when Li’l Black Rabbit 
say he kin go, he start off th’oo de woods ez 
fas’ ez he kin wiggle. 

“Good night, Black Rabbit,” he holler. 


161 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


“Doan’ look fer me ’roun’ dis way no more, 
kaze I ain’t never cornin’ back.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t los’ nary chicken 
de res’ of de year, an’ Ole Black Snake take 
mighty good keer to keep clear of Li’l Black 
Rabbit chicken yard all de res’ of ’is life. 


162 


XIII 

THE RAZORBACK HOG 

E F ennybody gotta finer patch of goobers 
in de whole naberhood dan Li’l Black 
Rabbit, somebody gotta fin’ it. Ole Man 
Hare what live down in de bottom done sen’ 
de seed to Li’l Black Rabbit, an’ de whole 
family set ’roun’ night arter night an’ 
shuck ’em. 

Mollie Cottontail she set an’ shuck ’em, 
an’ Billie Pink-Eye he set an’ shuck ’em, 
an’ Johnnie Jump-Up he set an’ shuck ’em, 
an’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, she set an’ shuck 
’em, an’ Slim Jimmie, he set an’ shuck ’em; 
an’ all de little chillun what ain’t got no 
names, dey wuz so new, dey sets ’roun’, an’ 
every las’ one of ’em shucks dem goobers. 
Dey sure wuz a lot, an’ all dem chillun sure 
wuz proud when dey gits th’oo. 

Some folks plants goobers mos’ enny ole 


11 — Little Black Rabbit 


163 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


time when de groun’ gits warm, but not Li I 
Black Rabbit. Nossir, boss. Li I Black 
Rabbit know dat what grows under de 
groun’ gotta be planted in de dark of de 
moon, an’ what grows on top of de groun’ 
gotta be planted in de light of de moon. So 
when de moon jess right, an’ all de signs 
from de frogs an’ de whip-poor-wills say 
it gwine rain soon, Li I Black Rabbit calls 
all de chillun fer to help ’im plant de goo- 
bers. He ’p’int Billie Pink-Eye fer to lead 
de ole gray mule what he borrer off Brer 
B’ar. He ’p’int Johnnie Jump-Up an’ 
Timmie Tiny-Toes fer to drap de goober 
seed in de furrows. He ’p’int Dottie 
Dimple-Nose an’ Slim Jimmie fer to tote 
de seeds to Johnnie Jump-Up and Timmie 
Tiny-Toes what doin’ de drappin’, an’ all 
de chillun what ain’t got no names, dey wuz 
de ones what come ’long behin’ an’ cover up 
de rows. Li’l Black Rabbit guide de plow 
’is own self, kaze he mighty pertickler ’bout 


164 


THE RAZORBACK HOG 


de rows being straight. Dey work, an’ dey 
work, an’ when Mollie Cottontail ring de 
big bell fer supper, dem goobers ain’t 
more’n half planted. Li’l Black Rabbit 
’bliged to call it a day an’ quit, kaze Mollie 
Cottontail done lay down de law, dat when 
de big bell ring fer supper ev’ybody gotta 
come quick ez dey kin, an’ ef dey doan’ 
come, she gwine raise a ruckus. 

Arter supper been et, Li’l Black Rabbit 
hustle all de chillun off to bed. “You chil- 
lun,” he say, “we got a right smart piece of 
work to-morrer, an’ we gotta work ‘can to 
can’t,’ so you all git to bed right quick.” 

Dem chillun know what workin’ “can to 
can’t” mean. Dat’s what de white folks 
say when dey hirin’ folks to work in de cot- 
ton fiel’s, an’ it mean you starts work when 
you kin see, an’ you work till it so dark you 
can’t see to work no mo’. Sho’ make a long 
day. Yassir, boss. 

Ennyhow, de goobers gits planted, an’ de 
165 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


rain done come ’long jess like de frogs an’ 
de whip-poor-wills says, an’ ain’t long afore 
dem little ole goobers stickin’ dere whiskers 
out o’ de groun’, like dey alius been livin’ 
dere. 

Li’l Black Rabbit sho’ is proud of dat 
goober patch, an’ he invite Brer B’ar an’ 
Brer Coon to walk ’roun’ de fiel’ wid ’im, 
an’ admire de way dey growin’. “I wouldn’ 
take nuthin’ fer dat patch,” says Li’l Black 
Rabbit. 

An’ Brer B’ar an’ Brer Coon say it wuz 
de fines’ patch in de whole naberhood. Den 
Li’l Black Rabbit gotta tell dem how he got 
de seed from Ole Man Hare, what live down 
in de bottom, an’ how ’im an’ de chillun 
done shucked ev’y pod. Some folks jess 
breaks de pod in two, but de right way is to 
shuck ’em like Li’l Black Rabbit done. 

Ev’y mornin’, de firs’ thing Li’l Black 
Rabbit do is to go down to dat goober patch, 
an’ ev’y night, de las’ thing he do afore sun- 


166 








THE RAZORBACK HOG 


down is go down to de goober patch. Seems 
like he can’t wait fer de goobers to git ripe. 

One mornin’ Li’l Black Rabbit done turn 
over an’ drap back to sleep when Mollie 
Cottontail call ’im, an’ he ain’t more’n got 
’is clothes on when breakfuss ready, an’ he 
ain’t got time to go down to de patch afore 
he eat. Whiles he’s settin’ dere eatin’, in 
come Billie Pink-Eye, de las’ one at de 
table. He doan’ say nuthin’, jess look at 
Li’l Black Rabbit; an’ bimeby he whispers 
to Johnnie Jump-Up, what sets nex’ to ’im. 
Johnnie Jump- Up doan’ say nuthin’, jess 
look at Li’l Black Rabbit, an’ bimeby he 
whisper to Dottie Dimple-Nose, an’ she 
whisper to Timmie Tiny-Toes. ’Bout dis 
time Li’l Black Rabbit gits on to all de 
whisperin’ an’ de lookin’, an’ he say: 
6 ‘What all you chillun whisperin’ ’bout? Is 
you all got sore th’oats?” Ain’t nobody 
say nuthin’. 

Li’l Black Rabbit speak up: “ Billie 


169 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Pink-Eye, you de one what started all dis 
yere foolishness. Ef you got ennything to 
say, you tell me what ’tis.” Billie Pink- 
Eye look sort o’ skeered an’ say: “I been 
down in de goober patch, an’ it look like 
somebody been diggin’ fer gole.” 

Billie Pink-Eye ain’t more dan git de 
words out o’ ’is mouf, when up jump Li’l 
Black Rabbit, an’ off he put, lippity, lip- 
pity, lippity, jess like de coon dogs arter 
’im. Sho’ ’nuff, when he gits dere, one en’ 
of de patch all tored up. “Lawd have 
mercy!” says Li’l Black Rabbit. “Ef I 
ketch de black scoun’rel what been robbin’ 
my patch, I gwine skin ’im alive, dat’s what 
I gwine do.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Brer Coon mighty 
good fren’s, an’ Brer Coon de bes’ fisher- 
man an’ de bes’ hunter in de whole naber- 
hood, so Li’l Black Rabbit start off hot-foot 
fer Brer Coon’s house to tell ’im de news. 
Arter Li’l Black Rabbit finish de tale, Brer 


170 


THE RAZORBACK HOG 


Coon he set back in de cheer an’ say, “ What 
kin’ of marks you fin’ on de groun’, Black 
Rabbit? Ef de marks is big an’ splay- 
footed, dat’s de ole gray mule over at Brer 
B’ar’s place. Ef dey smaller, an’ cut in 
between de hoof, dat’s Ole Mis’ Cow. Ef 
you see de marks like chicken foots, only 
diff ’rent, dat’s Ole Turkey-Buzzard. But ef 
you see de marks like two sharp toes wid a 
split between, I know who done de mis- 
chief.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit, he been so excited 
when he see ’is goober patch all tored up 
dat he ain’t take time fer to look fer de 
foot-prints, so off ’im an’ Brer Coon puts 
to see what dey kin fin’. Brer Coon he do de 
leadin’ an’ Li’l Black Rabbit do de follerin’. 

Sho’ ’nuff, ’twan’t de ole gray mule, an’ 
’twan’t Mis’ Cow, an’ ’twan’t Ole Turkey- 
Buzzard, but it wuz dem little foot-prints 
like what Brer Coon said las’. “What 
scoun’rel made dat mark?” says Li’l Black 


171 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Rabbit. “Lemme ketch ’im an’ I gwine 
skin ’im alive, dat’s what I gwine do.” 

“Jess what I thought,” says Brer Coon. 
“Be one what been messin’ up your goober 
patch is Ole Razorback Hog what lives out 
in de big swamp. Ain’t nuthin’ but a low- 
down thief, alius rootin’ ’roun’, tearin’ up 
things, but he sho’ kin run.” 

“How we gwine ketch ’im?” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. “Can’t put no trap ’long de 
fence, kaze we don’t know whar he come in 
at. Can’t put it on de groun’, kaze we don’t 
know whar he gwine start diggin’ at.” 

Brer Coon say he doan’ know ’is own self 
how dey gwine ketch ’im. All he kin do is 
tell who de t’ief is. It Li’l Black Rabbit’s 
job fer to figger out a way to ketch ’im. Li’l 
Black Rabbit set down on a log studyin’ 
how he gwine ketch Ole Razorback Hog, an’ 
Brer Coon mosey off home. 

Jess afore sundown, Li’l Black Rabbit git 
an idea, an’ he jump up in de air an’ knock 


172 


THE RAZORBACK HOG 


his heels togedder three-fo’ times afore he 
come down, he so happy. Off he put fer de 
big store, ez fas’ ez ’is short little legs kin 
carry ’im, an’ when he come back, all he got 
is little paper sack. 

Li’l Black Rabbit spen’ some time down 
in de goober patch, an’ when he come back 
he tell Billie Pink-Eye to run an’ fetch 
Brer Coon right quick. When Brer Coon 
come in, Li’l Black Rabbit ax ’im is ’is 
knife sharp, an’ Brer Coon ’low it is. ’N’en 
Li’l Black Rabbit ax ’im will he go an’ cut 
two walkin ’-sticks, an’ cut ’em right stout. 

Brer Coon cut de sticks, but Li’l Black 
Rabbit ain’t never let on how he gwine 
ketch Ole Razorback Hog. Brer Coon stay 
to dinner, an’ de yaller yams so good, he 
like to fergot what he come fer. But still 
Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t tole ’im how dey 
gwine ketch Ole Razorback Hog. “Hadn’ 
we better start ?” says Brer Coon. “ Plenty 
time,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. Bimeby in 


173 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


come Billie Pink-Eye, who been watchin’ 
de patch. “I done heerd Ole Hog rootin’ 
’roun’ in de patch,” says Billie Pink-Eye. 
“ Better hurry,” says Brer Coon. But all 
Li’l Black Rabbit say is “ Plenty time.” 

So dey saunter on slow, like dey walkin’ 
behin’ de corpse at a funeral, an’ sho’ ’nuff, 
dey hear Ole Hog snortin’ an’ snuffin’ an’ 
gruntin’, away down in de corner of de 
goober patch. Brer Coon lif ’ up ’is big 
stout stick an’ start to run. “Hole on,” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit; “plenty time.” 
Pretty soon dey hear somethin’ coughin’, 
an’ snuffin’, an’ d’rec’ly dey hear somethin’ 
say ‘ 6 Ah-ki-choo. ’ ’ 

“I got ’im,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. An’ 
sho’ ’nuff, he did have ’im. Dere wuz Ole 
Razorback Hog sneezin’ so fas’ he couldn’ 
run a step — jess a-standin’, sayin’, “Ah-ki- 
choo! Ah-ki-choo! Ah-ki-choo!” ez fas’ ez 
he could say it. Ev’y time he start to run, 
he have to sneeze; an’ every time he sneeze, 


174 


THE RAZORBACK HOG 


he have to stan’ stock still. Li’l Black Rab- 
bit done spread red pepper all long de rows 
of goobers where it look de likelies’ place 
fer Ole Razorback Hog to root. 

Brer Coon an’ Li’l Black Rabbit dey get 
right busy wid de big stout sticks, an’ all de 
nex’ winter Li’l Black Rabbit didn’ have to 
beg no side-meat to go wid his turnip 
greens. 


175 






\ 
















XIV 

THE TUMBLE-BUG 

D OWN in de big swamp over de hill from 
Li’l Black Rabbit’s house, dere’s mos’ 
ev’y kin’ of animal what you ever saw, an’ 
some what you ain’t never even hear tell on. 
An’ snakes! Lawd have mercy! Dere’s 
pink snakes, an’ yaller snakes, an’ green 
snakes, an’ snakes wid spots all over ’em. 
Dat’s a funny place fer Ole Brer Bullfrog 
to live, but he gotta live near de water, an’ 
dere de very place where ’im an’ Mis’ Bull- 
frog set up housekeepin’. 

One day Li’l Black Rabbit feel like he 
need some medicine, an’ off he puts down 
de hill, ’cross de meadow, an’ th’oo de wood, 
till he come to de big swamp. He dig in dis 
place, an’ he dig in dat place, but he can’t 
fin’ nice crisp sassafras root nowhars, an’ 
he gotta have sassafras root fer to cure 


177 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


what ails ’im. Whiles he’s lookin’ all ’roun’ 
dis side, an’ lookin’ all ’roun’ dat side, he 
hear funny li’l gurgle. Doan’ soun’ like a 
fish, an’ doan’ soun’ like a animal, an’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit can’t make it out nohow. 
Look up in de tree, an’ can’t see nuthin’. 
Look in de bushes, an’ can’t see nuthin’. 
Finally he look on de groun’. Sho’ ’miff, 
dere wuz Ole Brer Bullfrog pretty nigh et 
up by Ole Cotton-Mouth Moccasin. Ole 
Moccasin Snake pretty near got ’im swal- 
lowed whole, an’ ef Brer Bullfrog hadn’ 
been mighty quick an’ grab a stick cross- 
wise in ’is mouf, he wouldn’ never seen Mis’ 
Bullfrog no more. 

“Look like you in mighty bad fix,” says 
Li’l Black Rabbit. 

Brer Bullfrog got de stick in ’is mouf, 
an’ hangin’ on fer dear life, an’ Ole Mocca- 
sin Snake tryin’ hard fer to swaller ’im, but 
he can’t quite make it. Brer Bullfrog talk 
de bes’ he kin, but he got ’is teeth fas’ in de 


178 


THE TUMBLE-BUG 


stick an’ all he kin say is, “Helb, Blag Rab- 
bid! Take dis yere snage off be.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit grab up a big stick, an’ 
bus’ Ole Moccasin Snake ’longside de head, 
an’ he turn Brer Bullfrog loose in a hurry, 
an’ scurry off in de water. 

“ Mighty close shave, Black Rabbit,” says 
Brer Bullfrog. “Ef de stick ’d been rotten, 
it’d been all off wid dis yere bullfrog. You 
certainly come in de nick o’ time dis time.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Brer Bullfrog been 
mighty good fren’s dis long time, an’ in 
course, Li’l Black Rabbit gwine see dat 
Brer Bullfrog git home safe an’ soun’. Ole 
Mis’ Bullfrog mighty skeered when she see 
Brer Bullfrog all cut up from de snake’s 
teeths, and she make a great ’miration. She 
rub ’im good wid bear’s grease, an’ ain’t 
many days afore ’im an’ Li’l Black Rabbit 
sittin’ out under de cypress tree, smokin’ 
dere seegars same as usual when Li’l Black 
Rabbit come a- visitin’. 


12 — Little Black Rabbit 


179 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Dey mos’ly argefy all about who kin 
jump de far’es’, when Li I Black Rabbit 
spy somethin ’ slippin’ ’long in de grass. 
Look like big ball o’ mud jess rollin’ ’long 
easy-like. 

‘ 4 What dat ? ’ ’ says Li ’1 Black Rabbit. 6 ‘ I 
ain’t never seen no ball o’ mud rollin’ ’long 
de groun’ dat-a-way. Ain’t natch ’ral, dat 
ain’t. Ain’t got no wings, an’ ain’t got no 
feets. How you reckon dat ball o’ mud 
movin’, Brer Bullfrog?” 

Brer Bullfrog he jess r’ar back an’ laugh. 
“Look on de behin’ side, Black Rabbit, an’ 
you see what doin’ all de shovin’.” Sho’ 
’nuff, dere wuz Ole Tumble-Bug a-pushin’, 
an’ a-shovin’, an’ a-shovin’, an’ a-pushin’, 
an’ dat wuz de why an’ de wharf ore of de 
ball o’ mud movin’ like it done. 

“What dat fool bug gwine do wid all dat 
big ole ball o’ mud?” says Li’l Black Rab- 
bit. 

“Dat’s de question,” says Brer Bullfrog. 


180 






THE TUMBLE-BUG 


“You kin alius see dem tumble-bugs rollin’ 
dem balls o’ mud all ’roun’, but dey ain’t 
nary person what kin tell you what dey does 
wid ’em.” 

Ain’t no person in de whole naberhood 
what knows ez much ez Li’l Black Rabbit; 
an’ de reason is, dat when he light on some- 
thin’ what he doan’ know, he ain’t never 
satisfied till he fin’ out how ’tis. Li’l Black 
Rabbit know all ’bout de straddle-bug what 
lives out in de woods, an’ all ’bout de 
doodle-bug what lives in de holes in de 
groun’, but he jess natch ’rally doan’ know 
nuthin’ ’bout de tumble-bug, an’ he sho’ 
gotta fin’ out. It gittin’ late, an’ he know 
Mollie Cottontail ain’t gwine keep de sup- 
per hot ef he late, so he tell Brer Bullfrog 
an’ Mis’ Bullfrog good-night, an’ off he 
puts fer home. 

All de way home he keep wonderin’ ’bout 
what Ole Tumble-Bug gwine do wid dat big 
ball o’ mud. De supper jess been put on 


183 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


de table when Li’l Black Rabbit come in, 
an’ Mollie Cottontail stick her head out de 
do’, an’ holler fer : 

Billie Pink-Eye, 

An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 

An’ Slim Jimmie, an’ all de chillun what 
ain’t got no names, dey wuz so new. 

When de supper been et, an’ all de chil- 
lun settin’ ’roun’, Li’l Black Rabbit he look 
at Billie Pink-Eye an’ he say: 

“Billie Pink-Eye, you know what one of 
dese yere tumble-bugs look like?” An’ Bil- 
lie Pink-Eye say, “ Uh-huh. ’’ 

“You seen ’em pushin’ one of dese yere 
balls o’ mud all ’roun’?” 

An’ Billie Pink-Eye say, “Uh-huh.” 
“Well, kin you tell me what dat tumble- 
bug gwine do wid dat ball o’ mud w 7 hen he 
gits it to de place whar he lives at?” 

Den Billie Pink-Eye say, “Umph-uh.” 


184 


THE TUMBLE-BUG 


“Dat’s de question/ ’ says Li’l Black 
Rabbit, “what you an’ me gotta fin’ out.” 

De nex’ mornin’, bright an’ early, Li’l 
Black Rabbit an’ Billie Pink-Eye puts up 
a snack to eat, an’ takes dere fishin ’-poles, 
an’ off dey puts fer de big swamp. All de 
time de fish ain’t bitin’, dey kin watch fer a 
tumble-bug; an’ ’tain’t long afore yere one 
come hustlin’ ’long a ball o’ mud. De bug 
git on de front side an’ pull, an’ he git on 
de behin’ side an’ shove. He tug at it, an’ 
he wrastle wid it, an’ he jess worry dat ball 
o’ mud until he gits it rollin’, jess like he 
want it. Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Billie Pink- 
Eye ain’t make a move, jess set dere watch- 
in’. Dey know dat ef Ole Tumble-Bug spy 
’em in de bushes, he gwine quit right off de 
reel, kaze he ain’t gwine let nobody see what 
he do wid de ball o’ mud, ef he kin help it. 

Ole Tumble-Bug keep a-rollin’ de ball, 
an’ Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Billie Pink-Eye 
keep a-slippin’ ’long th’oo de bushes jess 


185 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


easy-like, till finally dey come to de hole in 
de groun’ whar Ole Tumble-Bug an’ all ’is 
family done set up housekeepin’. 

When de Tumble-Bug chillun hear dere 
Daddy cornin’ wid he ball o’ mud, dey pops 
out of de hole, an’ de whole kit ’n’ barrel of 
’em grab hold of dat ball o’ mud, an’ dey 
push, an’ dey shove, an’ dey tug, an’ dey 
twis’, till dey gits de ball o’ mud tucked 
away safe down in de groun’. 

“Doan’ dat beat Ole Nick?” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. “Here we been f oiler in’ dat 
ole bug de bes’ part of de day to fin’ out 
what he gwine do wid dat ball o’ mud, an’ 
we doan’ know no more now dan when we 
started.” 

“Ain’t dat de troof?” says Billie Pink- 
Eye. 

“S’pos’n’ we dig ’em out,” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. 

“S’pos’n’ we ain’t got no shovel,” says 
Billie Pink-Eye. 


186 


THE TUMBLE-BUG 


“ Shovel in de tool-house/ ’ says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. 

“Done stuck a big thorn in my foot, an’ 
I can’t walk,” says Billie Pink-Eye. “An’ 
ef I fetch de shovel, it gwine be plumb dark 
when I gits back, an’ I can’t dig in de dark 
nohow.” 

Dey kep’ on talkin’, an’ dey kep’ on arge- 
fyin’ ’bout who do de fetchin’, an’ who do 
de diggin’, till dey hears de Ole Whip-poor- 
will start singin’ out in de swamp. When 
dey hears dat, dey know it ain’t long afore 
sundown, an’ off dey puts fer home. 

Dey start off so sudden-like, ain’t nary 
one of ’em ’member to make a mark on de 
tree by Ole Tumble-Bug’s hole, an’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit ain’t never fin’ out to dis day 
what Ole Tumble-Bug do wid all de balls o’ 
mud what he rolls th’oo de woods. An’, 
what’s more, he ain’t never gwine fin’ out, 
kaze he never could fin’ where ’nuther one 
of dese yere bugs lived at nohow. 


187 





XV 

THE SEVEN-YEAR LOCUSTS 

D E corn look good out in de fiel’, an’ de 
yaller yams look good down in de 
patch back of Li’l Black Rabbit’s house, an’ 
de goober vines standin’ up all green an’ 
pretty. Li’l Black Rabbit ’low dat he gwine 
have a sho’-’nuff crap dis year. One night 
him an’ Mollie Cottontail an’ all de chillun 
settin’ out on de front porch list’nin’ to de 
whip-poor-wills callin’ down in de wood, 
when Li’l Black Rabbit say: 

“ Billie Pink-Eye, run in de house an’ 
fetch me de big stick wid de notches on it, 
what I got hangin’ over de fireplace.” 

When Billie Pink-Eye bring de stick, an’ 
Li’l Black Rabbit open up ’is jackknife fer 
to cut de notch, Slim Jimmie speak up: 
“What fer you cut a notch in de stick ev’y 
year, Black Rabbit?” 


189 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Li’l Black Rabbit hef’ de stick in ’is 
han’s, an’ lean back in ’is cheer. 

“Dis yere stick is what I calls a ‘year 
stick.’ Ev’y year, in de light of de moon, 
when de garden’s growin’ good, I cuts a 
notch in de stick, an’ ev’y notch I cut, dat 
means one year, an’ dat’s de way I keep 
track on de Seben-Year Locusts. Doan’ 
neber cut de notch in de dark of de moon, 
kaze dat sure mean bad luck ef you cuts it 
in de dark of de moon. Folks what kills 
folks alius works in de dark of de moon, an’ 
craps what’s planted in de dark of de moon 
doan’ never come up. Alius plant in de 
light of de moon, ef you wants to have good 
luck. Now dis yere notch what I cut in dis 
yere stick, it number seben, an’ dat mean 
dat dis year is de time fer de Seben-Year 
Locusts, what gwine come dis yere spring. 
Dat’s de way I keeps track of de time when 
de Seben-Year Locusts gwine to come.” 

Slim Jimmie look like he under stan’ 


190 


THE SEVEN-YEAR LOCUSTS 


what Li’l Black Rabbit talkin’ ’bout, but he 
doan’ understan’ nohow. He doan’ know 
what a Seben-Year Locust look like, in de 
firs’ place; an’ ef he know what a Locust 
look like, he doan’ know why Li’l Black 
Rabbit so pertickler ’bout de Seben-Year 
Locust in de secon’ place. So he doan’ say 
nuthin’, jess sort o’ walk off an’ look wise, 
like de white folks does when dey doan’ 
want no one to know how ignorant dey is. 

De nex’ mornin’, up jump Li’l Black 
Rabbit bright an’ early, an’ holler fer 
breakfuss. Ole Mollie Cottontail she say 
she sent de chillun out to de white folks’ 
garden fer to rustle ’roun’ an’ fetch home 
somethin’ fer breakfuss, an’ dey ain’t got 
back yit. Pretty soon here come Billie 
Pink-Eye wid ’is arms full of carrots, an’ 
here come Johnnie Jump-Up wid a cabbage 
under each arm, an’ here come Dottie 
Dimple-Nose, an’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, an’ 
Slim Jimmie, an’ all de chillun what ain’t 


191 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


got no names, dey wuz so new, dey all got 
somethin’. 

Arter Li’l Black Rabbit done et ’is break- 
fuss, he sets ’isself down in de back yard fer 
to study out how he gwine keep de Seben- 
Year Locusts from eatin’ up ’is garden, like 
dey did de las’ time dey come. 

In course, Li’l Black Rabbit he’s a heap 
older, an’ he got a heap more sense dan he 
had de las’ time de locusts come, an’ he 
boun’ dis year he gwine have a garden, an’ 
he boun’ de Seben-Year Locusts ain’t gwine 
touch it. 

De spring time mighty pretty, an’ de 
birds all singin’ in de trees, an’ de spring 
frogs all hollerin’ down in de swamp. Li’l 
Black Rabbit call all de chillun togedder, 
an’ lays out de work dey gotta do in de gar- 
den: Billie Pink-Eye, he gotta dig up de 
weeds in de pertater patch, an’ work out de 
yaller yams. An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, he 
gotta fix up de beets, an’ de collar ds, an’ de 


192 



LI’L BLACK RABBIT SPY DE FIRS’ LOCUST. 

193 












THE SEVEN-YEAR LOCUSTS 


ochre; an’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, an’ Slim 
Jimmie dey gotta sucker de corn stalks; an 7 
de chillun what ain’t got no names, dey 
gotta clean up aroun’ de yard, pick up de 
tin cans, an’ fix up de fences. When he got 
all de chillun right busy, off put Li’l Black 
Rabbit to de big store, lippity, lippity, lip- 
pity, jess ez happy ez a white folks farmer 
goin’ to a frolic. When he gits to de big 
store he says to de man: “ Gimme two bits’ 
wuth of poppy seeds, please sir.” 

An’ de man give ’im de seeds, an’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit give ’im de money, an’ off he 
start home. ’N’en he fence ’im off a piece 
of groun’ in de corner of de garden, an’ 
dere he plants dem poppy seeds, but he 
doan’ say nuthin’ to nobody. It come along 
till well in de summer, an’ de craps gr owin’ 
fine, when Li’l Black Rabbit spy de firs’ 
Locust, an’ he gits sort o’ uneasy, kaze he 
got a plan, but he ain’t sure dat de plan 
gwine work jess like he want it. Li’l Black 


13 — Little Black Rabbit 


195 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Rabbit he gotta fine place, an’ he gotta nice 
yard in front of ’is house, but he gotta piece 
of Ian’ what all covered over wid little scrub 
bushes, what some day he gotta grub right 
out afore he kin use de lan’ fer a pasture 
like he want to. Ennyhow, ez soon ez he see 
the firs’ Locusts, he know dey is de Mamma 
Locusts, what come firs’ an’ digs ’roun’ in 
de groun’ an’ lays de eggs an’ den dies. Den 
come de Baby Locusts, what look like ants, 
but what ain’t ants. Den come de Creepin’ 
Locusts, what ain’t got no wings yit, an’ 
dey eats, an’ eats, an’ eats, an’ grows dere 
wings, an’ flies away. 

Li’l Black Rabbit know dat he can’t ketch 
de Mamma Locusts, an’ know dat he can’t 
ketch de Ant Locusts, so all de work he do, 
he gotta do wid de Creepin’ Locusts. 

By de time de eggs what de Mamma Lo- 
custs done laid all been hatched out, an’ de 
Ant Locusts all crawlin’ ’roun’ on de 
groun’, Li’l Black Rabbit got ’im a little 


196 


THE SEVEN-YEAR LOCUSTS 


piece of groun’ all fenced in good wid 
planks, an’ he sets all de chillun to paintin’ 
de inside of de plank fence wid black sticky 
tar, so when he gits de Locusts all driv’ in, 
can’t nary one of ’em crawl out again. 
Meanwhile all de craps keep on a-gr owin’ — 
de onions, an’ de radishes, an’ de yaller 
yams, an’ de collar ds, an’ de ochre, an’ all 
de stuff what he done set out. De piece of 
groun’ what he done sowed wid de poppy 
seed, it covered so thick wid poppy flowers 
look like it burnin’ up, kaze de poppies so 
red. When it come time fer de Ant Locusts 
to turn into de Creepin’ Locusts, Li’l Black 
Rabbit calls all de chillun an’ give ’em all 
ole tin pans, an’ tells ’em dat when he say 
de word, he want ’em to beat on de pans, 
like dey does when de bees is swarmin’. 

Den Li’l Black Rabbit he place Billie 
Pink-Eye on de right side, an’ Johnnie 
Jump-Up he place on de lef ’ side, an’ Dot- 
tie Dimple-Nose he place on de before side, 


197 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


an’ Timmie Tiny-Toes he place on de bellin’ 
side, an’ he scatter all de chillun what ain’t 
got no names in betwixt an’ between de ud- 
ders. ’N’en Li’l Black Rabbit give de word, 
an’ de chillun all starts beatin’ on de pans, 
an’ dey make such a noise dat it scare all de 
Creepin’ Locusts most to death, an’ dey 
rush ’roun’ dis way, an’ dey run ’roun’ dat 
way, but de only way dey kin go is straight 
into de little pen wid de sticky sides what 
Li’l Black Rabbit done built. Li’l Black 
Rabbit crowd ’em in, an’ crowd ’em in, till 
dey ain’t no Creepin’ Locusts left out no- 
whar ’roun’ Li’l Black Rabbit’s house, 
Li’l Black Rabbit, he keep de Creepin’ Lo- 
custs shut up in de pen mos’ two days wid 
nuthin’ to eat, kaze ef dey can’t eat, dey 
can’t grow an’ make no wings, an’ when 
dey ain’t got no wings, dey can’t fly. 

When he thinks dey ’bout hungry ’null, 
he calls all de chillun, an’ open de gate, an’ 
he herds all dem Creepin’ Locusts into de 


198 


THE SEVEN-YEAR LOCUSTS 


lot what he got all covered over wid dem 
scrubby bushes an’ weeds. Yassir, boss, he 
turn dem Creepin’ Locusts in dat lot, an’ 
dey so hungry dev jumps into dem bushes 
an’ weeds like a white folks boy into a big 
plate of griddle cakes. Ev’y night when he 
takes de Creepin’ Locusts out of de lot an’ 
puts ’em back in de pen, he th’ows in a arm- 
ful of dese yere poppy leaves, an’ dey make 
de Creepin’ Locusts so sleepy dat dey doan’ 
think of nuthin’ but jess gettin’ a good 
night’s res’. So Li’l Black Rabbit keep 
dem Creepin’ Locusts workin’ till dey cut 
down all de bushes, an’ et up all de weeds 
what he got in de lot. Li’l Black Rabbit he 
push ’em so hard, one day when de lot ’bout 
clean up, dat it plumb dark when he gits 
’em in de pen. It so dark de Creepin’ Lo- 
custs can’t see de armful of poppies what 
he th’ows over de fence, an’ dey doan’ eat 
none of dem poppies dat night at all. 

On ’count of all de food what dey et while 


199 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


dey cleanin’ up de lot fer Li’l Black Rabbit, 
all dese Creepin’ Locusts done turn into 
Flyin’ Locusts, but Li’l Black Rabbit keep 
’em workin’ so hard dey ain’t fin’ out dey 
kin fly wid dese new wings what dey got. 
Be nex’ mornin’, kaze dey ain’t et no poppy 
leaves de night befo’, de Locusts up sharp 
at daybreak, an’ one little ole Locust sort o’ 
shake ’isself an’ spread ’is wings, an’ flop 
’em couple of times, an’ off he fly over de 
fence. ’N’en ’nuther Locust he flop ’is 
wings, an’ he fly over de fence, an’ ’nuther 
Locust he fly over de fence, ’n’en all de Lo- 
custs in a big bunch dey flies over de fence. 

Dey sho’ wuz glad to get away from de 
place where dey been worked ez hard ez dey 
wuz at Li’l Black Rabbit’s, an’ dey fly, an’ 
fly, till dey clean out of sight. When Li’l 
Black Rabbit come down arter breakfuss to 
start de Locusts to work, an’ he see dere 
ain’t ’nuther Locust lef’ in de pen, an’ he 
see dat he got de bushes an’ de weeds all cut 


200 


THE SEVEN-YEAR LOCUSTS 


out of de lot, an’ he see dat all de vegetables 
in de garden ain’t been touched, he say to 
’isself: “It certainly do mean luck when 
you plants your garden in de light of de 
moon.” An’ dat’s de troof. 


201 




XVI 

OLD BLIND MOLE 

O NE morning bright an’ early, Li’l 
Black Rabbit wuz walkin’ ’roun’ in ’is 
garden, knockin’ dem little black an’ yaller 
bugs off’n ’is ’tater vines, when he come to 
a place where somethin’ been happenin’. 
Firs’ he think it look like de place where 
Brer Coon been havin’ mix-up wid ole 
houn’ dog, but dey ain’t been ’miff scufflin’ 
’roun’ in de dirt. 

’N’en he think it must ’a’ been ole Brer 
B’ar huntin’ ’roun’ to git ’im a mess o’ 
yaller yams, but de groun’ ain’t dug up 
’nuff fer ole Brer B’ar. It ain’t dis, an’ it 
ain’t dat, an’ finally he ’cide it mus’ be dem 
chillun, kaze mos’ in generally, when it 
ain’t nuthin’ else, it de chillun. Dey all on 
’em alius up to some debbilment, an’ ef 
’tain’t Billie Pink-Eye, it Johnnie Jump- 


203 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


Up; an’ ef ’tain’t Johnnie Jump-Up, it 
Timmie Tiny-Toes, er Dottie Dimple-Nose, 
er Slim Jimmie, er some of de chillun what’s 
so new dey ain’t got no names. 

Li’l Black Rabbit he mighty mad, an’ he 
start a-hollerin’: 

“You, Billie Pink-Eye, come yere dis 
minit, you hear mef’ 

“Yere I is,” says Billie Pink-Eye. 
“What you fussin’ ’bout, Black Rabbit?” 

“Ain’t fussin’ ’bout nuthin’, jess askin’ 
questions,” says Li’l Black Rabbit. “Jess 
askin’ who been tearin’ up my garden, an’ 
if de one what done it start lyin’ to me, I’se 
gwine cuff ’im into a peak an’ cuff de peak 
off.” 

Billie Pink-Eye hole up ’is right han’, 
cross ’is heart, hope to die he ain’t done de 
diggin’, an’ he ain’t seen nobody else doin’ 
de diggin’. All de res’ of de chillun dey 
swear dey ain’t done nuthin’. Ef dere’s one 
thing Ole Mollie Cottontail done teach her 


204 


OLD BLIND MOLE 


chillun, it’s to tell de troof, an’ when ev’y 
one of ’em hole up ’is right han’, an’ cross 
’is heart, an’ hope to die, an’ say he ain’t 
done it, den Li’l Black Rabbit know sho’ 
’miff dat he gotta look somewhars else. 

Can’t many people fool Li’l Black Rabbit 
when he git right down to business, an’ so 
he run all de little rabbit chillun away, an’ 
set down to study, kaze he know he gotta 
job on ’is han’s to fin’ out who done de dig- 
gin’. He gotta ketch de thing what doin’ 
de diggin’, but firs’ he gotta fin’ out what 
kin’ of a thing he gotta ketch. He look all 
’roun’ to see what kin’ o’ feets makin’ de 
tracks, but he can’t fin’ no tracks nohow. 
He look all ’roun’ to see kin he fin’ enny 
place where enny long nails been scratching 
but he can’t fin’ wdiere no nails been 
scratchin’. He know it ain’t no bird. Li’l 
Black Rabbit sort o’ stumped. “ Ain’t no 
animal what walk on de groun’, an’ ain’t 
no bird what fly in de air,” he say to ’isself. 


205 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


He set dere studying an’ studying an’ all 
of a sudden de right idee hit ’im. “Lawd 
have mercy! If ’tain’t on top of de ground 
an’ ’tain’t up in de air above de groun’, it 
gotta be somethin’ down in de groun’. I 
know de rapscallion what diggin’ up my 
garden. It’s dat ole triflin’ good-fer-nuth- 
in’ Star-Nose Mole. Dat’s who it is. Ef I 
had plenty sense, I’d ’a’ knowed it long time 
ago.” 

It’s one thing to fin’ out what doin’ de 
diggin’, an’ ’nuther thing to ketch what’s 
doin’ de diggin’, an’ ’tain’t long afore Li’l 
Black Rabbit fin’ dis out. Mos’ ev’eybody 
what try to catch a mole fin’ dis out in time. 

First he try fer to dig out Ole Star-Nose 
Mole wid a shovel. He spit on ’is han’s an’ 
dig in dis place, an’ he spit on ’is han’s an’ 
dig in dat place. But Ole Mole got mighty 
good ears, an’ when he hear Li’l Black Rab- 
bit rootin’ ’roun’ like Ole Razorback Hog, 
all he do is turn ’roun’ an’ dig right 


206 



DERE HE SETS ON DE TOP OF DE GROW. 


207 











OLD BLIND MOLE 


straight back down in de groun’, like he 
gwine to de water-line sho’ ’nuff. 

Bimeby Li’l Black Rabbit’s back feel like 
it gwine break plumb in two, an’ ’is han’s 
gits all full of blisters, an’ he know it ’bout 
time to stop, kaze he ain’t gwine ketch Ole 
Star-Nose Mole by no diggin’ — he gotta use 
’is brains. Li’l Black Rabbit got plenty 
sense, an’ so he carry de shovel back, an’ 
put it in de tool-house, an’ set ’isself down 
on de front steps to study out a plan to 
ketch Ole Mole. De firs’ night he put a lot 
of broken glass down in de tunnel what Ole 
Mole got, in hopes Ole Mole git all cut up 
an’ bleed to death. 

When Ole Mole rootin’ ’roun’, he spy de 
broken glass, an’ all he do is dig ’nuther 
tunnel ’roun’ on de udder side of de glass. 
Mos’ folkses, what doan’ know moles, 
thinks dey ain’t got no eyes, an’ ain’t got no 
ears, ain’t got nuthin’ but feets an’ a mouf 
wid a long snoot on de en’ of it. 


209 


LITTLE BLACK BABBIT 


Li’l Black Rabbit know better dan dat. 
He know de mole got ears what hidden way 
under de fur, so de dirt can’t get in nohow 
when he diggin’. An’ he know de mole got 
little bits o’ eyes what he kin wink up so 
tight — ain’t many people ’low he got enny 
eyes a-tall. Ef you look sharp ’miff, an’ 
look long ’nuff, you sho’ kin fin’ de eyes an’ 
fin’ de ears. Bat’s de way Ole Mole been 
made, an’ dere he is. De mole doan’ dig in 
de winter: he jess wrap ’isself all up tight 
in all de leaves an’ moss what he got in ’is 
hole, an’ put in all ’is time sleepin’. He 
doan’ do no diggin, an’ doan’ do no rootin’ 
’roun’; he jess sets dere an’ sleeps. When 
de spring come he right on de job, an’ de 
fishin’ worms gotta scramble ’roun’ mighty 
fas’ to keep out o’ ’is way. He jess gobble 
’em up fas’ ez he meet ’em. 

He ain’t been eatin’ all winter long, jess 
sleepin’; an’ when he start to git hungry, he 
sho’ is hungry. He eats de bugs an’ he eats 


210 


OLD BLIND MOLE 


de worms, an’ he eats de little roots what he 
finds in de groun’. He so hungry he sort o’ 
like Ole Turkey-Buzzard, an’ he eat mos’ 
enny thing what layin’ ’roun’ loose. When 
Lid Black Rabbit fin’ Ole Mole see de sharp 
glass what he put in de tunnel, he try f er to 
trap ’im when he come up out o’ de groun’ 
at night. De nex’ mornin’, dere de trap, 
but ’tain’t no mole in de trap nohow. 

It keep on till Ole Star-Nose Mole got 
Li’l Black Rabbit mighty worried. Ain’t 
no animal in de whole naberhood what ever 
git de bes’ of Li’l Black Rabbit, an’ dey 
ain’t no hole he ever fall in but what he kin 
fin’ de way out. He ’low he ain’t gwine be 
beat by any low-down, good-fer-nuthin’ 
mole what ever digged in de groun’. 

Dere he set on de front steps studyin’ an’ 
smokin’ ’is big black seegar, an’ studyin’, 
till it come time fer Mollie Cottontail to put 
on de supper. 

All de chillun done wash dere faces an’ 


14 — Little Black Rabbit 


211 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


han’s down at de spring-house, an’ slicked 
dere hair down all nice an’ smooth, an’ set- 
tin’ ’roun’ de table waitin’ fer Li’l Black 
Rabbit to dish out de turnip greens. Li’l 
Black Rabbit look ’roun’ right sharp at 
Slim Jimmie. 

“What dat you chewin’ on?” says Li’l 
Black Rabbit. “Ain’t I tole you to leave 
de things on de table ’lone till I helps you ?” 

“Ain’t took nuthin’,” says Slim Jimmie. 
“Ain’t chewin’ nuthin’ ’cep’ ole piece o’ 
spruce gum what I jess got workin’ good.” 

Dat give Li’l Black Rabbit an idee, kaze 
he know de spruce gum mighty sticky when 
it right from de tree, an’ it gits you’ teeth 
all stuck up, so you kin hardly chew a-tall. 
Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t say nuthin’ to no- 
body, but de nex’ mornin’, bright an’ early, 
off he puts th’oo de wood, down de meadow, 
an’ ’cross de brook, till he come to de big 
swamp where de spruce trees grows at. 

He cut a piece of gum off ’n dis tree, an’ 


212 


OLD BLIND MOLE 


a piece of gum off’n dat tree, till bimeby he 
got a bucket plumb full. He doan’ take de 
ole gum what’s dry an’ hard, he only takes 
de new gum what is sof ’ an’ sticky. 

“What you mixin’ up, Black Rabbit?” 
says Billie Pink-Eye, when he see Li’l 
Black Rabbit workin’ de spruce gum wid a 
big stick. 

“Jess fixin’ up some chewin’ gum fer Ole 
Star-Nose Mole,” says Li’l Black Rabbit, 
an’ ’en he sort o’ chuckle to ’isself. “You 
an’ me gwine ketch dat rascal dis time, an’ 
he ain’t gwine dig up nobody’s garden no 
mo’.” 

When de spruce gum all mix up good, 
Li’l Black Rabbit take de bucket, an’ Billie 
Pink-Eye take de spade, an’ off dey puts 
fer de garden. Ev’y place where Ole Mole 
got a tunnel, right at de en’ of de tunnel, 
down in de groun’, Li’l Black Rabbit dump 
a big ball of gum, an’ cover all de dirt back 
good. ’N’en he puts a ball of gum ev’y 


213 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


place where Ole Mole been use to cornin’ 
out at night. 

“Dat gwine be some s ’prised mole dis 
night, when he gits rootin’ ’roun’ in de gar- 
den,” says Li’l Black Rabbit; an’ Billie 
Pink-Eye ’low dat a fac’. 

De nex’ mornin’, de sun ain’t hardly up 
yet, when Billie Pink-Eye jump out o’ bed, 
an’ hustle off to de garden to see what been 
happenin’ endurin’ de night time. It take 
some time afore he kin fin’ what he lookin’ 
fer; but when he fin’ it, dere it is sho’ ’nuff. 

Billie Pink-Eye start a-laughin’, an’ den 
he start a-runnin’ fer to fetch Li’l Black 
Rabbit. When he gits to de house, he 
laughin’ so hard he kin har’ly tell Li’l 
Black Rabbit what de matter. 

Li’l Black Rabbit s’picion what de matter 
is, kaze jess what done happen, dat’s jess 
what he ’spec’ gwine happen, an’ he ain’t 
s ’prised none a-tall. All de chillun done 
woke up wid de noise, an’ dey gotta come 


214 


OLD BLIND MOLE 


along, too. Li’l Black Rabbit pick up a 
good stout stick, an’ off dey all puts fer de 
garden an’ Ole Man Mole. Dar he wuz sho’ 
’nuff, settin’ on de top of a mole hill, jess 
a-clawin’ away at ’is t ooths. He run into one 
of dese yere balls of gum, an’ start to dig ’is 
way th’oo. A mole digs wid ’is feets, an’ 
chews wid ’is teeths, an’ roots wid ’is snoot. 
When Ole Mole’s feets got stuck in de gum, 
he tried fer to chew it off, an’ dere whar he 
make a big mistake. He got de gum on ’is 
feet, an’ he got de gum on ’is snoot, an’ he 
got de gum in ’is teeths, an’ he can’t do 
nuthin’ a-tall. All he kin do is back up in 
de tunnel. He back, an’ he back, an’ finally 
he back right out of ’is hole, an’ dere he sets 
on de top of de groun’, all stuck up an’ 
waitin’ fer company. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t waste no words on 
Ole Star-Nose Mole. He spit on ’is right 
han’, an’ he spit on ’is lef’ han’, an’ grab 
hold of de big stout stick what he got, an’ 


215 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


he took dat Ole Mole — Blam! right long- 
side of de head. 

Ole Mole got mighty soft fur, an’ when 
Mollie Cottontail make it into ear-muffs fer 
Slim Jimmie, it keep Is ears good an’ warm 
endurin’ de whole winter time. 


216 


XYII 

WHEN THE LEVEE BROKE 

L I’L BLACK RABBIT’S front yard 
wuz all cluttered up wid rabbits. Dey 
wuz so thick seems like he gwine sqush two- 
three of dem ev’y time he puts ’is feets 
down. 

Billie Pink-Eye he wuz dere, 

An’ Johnnie Jump-Up, he wuz dere, 

An’ Timmie Tiny-Toes, 

An’ Dottie Dimple-Nose, 

An’ Slim Jimmie, an’ all de chillun what 
wuz so new dey ain’t got no names, dey wuz 
all dere. 

An’ all de little Hare chillun what come 
a- visitin’, dey wuz dere, too. All of ’em wuz 
slicked up nice an’ clean like dey wuz gwine 
to dey rich aunt’s funeral, only dere li’l 
feets wuz jess a-dancin’ an’ dere li’l eyes 
jess a-poppin’. Dottie Dimple-Nose wuz 


217 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


doin , de countin’ out fer to play hide-an’- 

seek: 

“One-zi, two-zi, zigamo zan, 

Ketch ole ’possum fas’ ez you can, 
Zum-ree, he-ree, ickory mo, 

Had a good holt but I let ’im go. 

You’re out.” 

Come ’long till ev’ybody out but Johnnie 
Jump-Up, so he gotta be “It,” an’ hunt fer 
de res’ of de chillun. Dey played, an’ dey 
romped, an’ dey romped, an’ dey played, till 
it come time fer de little Hare chillun to 
trot ’long home. 

Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Billie Pink-Eye 
gwine see dat de Hare chillun gits back 
home safe an’ soun’, an’ off dey start, Li’l 
Black Rabbit in de lead, an’ de res’ on’ ’em 
strung ’long behin’ like dey wuz playin’ 
Injun. 

When dey reach Mis’ Hare’s house, Li’l 
218 


WHEN THE LEVEE BROKE 


Black Rabbit mighty dry, an’ he gotta have 
a big glass o’ buttermilk afore him an’ Bil- 
lie Pink-Eye starts off home. Whiles dey 
all settin’ dere drinkin’ de buttermilk, who 
should drap in but Mis’ Hare’s brother 
Jack, what live down in de big swamp. 

Li’l Black Rabbit tell ’im “ Howdy,” an’ 
ax him ’bout de craps. 

“De craps is good what dey is of ’em,” 
says Mis’ Hare’s brother Jack, “an’ ’nuff 
of ’em sech ez dey is.” 

“Ain’t much encouragement in dat,” 
says Li’l Black Rabbit. 

“Dat ain’t all, nuther,” says Brother 
Jack. “You-all live up on de hill, an’ you 
doan’ care nuthin’ ’bout de troubles us 
swamp rabbits has. De water been risin’ 
steady dis two-three days, an’ mos’ reach de 
top of de levee right now. Dem pesky ole 
muskrats been diggin’ in de levee bank, an’ 
it gwine bus’ wide open one of dese days. 
Dem what kin run gotta run fas’. Dem 


219 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


what kin swim gotta swim hard, an’ dem 
what kin climb gotta climb high. De Lawd 
have mercy on dem what can’t swim an’ 
what can’t climb, kaze, when de levee break, 
dey gotta run like houn’ dogs arter ’em.” 

Li’l Black Rabbit tilt back ’is head an’ 
let de las’ of de buttermilk slip down ’is 
th’oat easy-like, an’ sit dere studyin’. He 
ain’t sayin’ nuthin’ but he doin’ a heap of 
thinkin’. 

Finally he say, “Brer Jack, let’s you an’ 
me go down by dis yere levee bank, an’ see 
kin we run dem muskrats off, kaze it mighty 
ticklish business fer all dem animals to be 
a-diggin’ in de bank endurin’ dis yere high 
water.” 

Brother Jack ’low dat suit ’im kaze he 
been chuckin’ rocks at dem muskrats ev’y 
day fer mos’ a week, but dey jess keep on 
a-diggin’, an’ he feel certain de levee gwine 
bus’ wide open, an’ it ain’t gwine be long 
nuther. 


220 























































































































































































































































. 
























































f 






























< 










































♦ 
















































































































WHEN THE LEVEE BROKE 


When dey come down to de big river, dere 
wuz de whole muskrat family diggin’ away 
like dey foun’ a gole mine. Li’l Black Rab- 
bit he ain’t de one to start a fuss, ef ’tain’t 
gwine git ’im nuthin’, an’ he say: 

“Hi! Mister Muskrat, how all de fam- 
ily?” An’ Mister Muskrat he say: 

“Hi! Black Rabbit, how is all you’ 
folks? It looks mighty funny to see you 
’sociatin’ wid dese yere low-down swamp 
rabbits.” 

He ain’t forgot dat Brother Jack been 
chuckin’ rocks at ’im fer mos’ a week. Li’l 
Black Rabbit he let on like he ain’t heard 
what he say. 

“What you-all diggin’ in de bank so hard 
fer, Mister Muskrat? Look like you done 
struck a mighty wet place.” 

“Certainly is wet,” says Brother Musk- 
rat; “but we done run up on a big mess of 
sassafras roots an’ dey sho’ is good.” 

“Look like de levee mighty weak, right in 


223 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


dis spot,” says Lil Black Rabbit. “ Ain’t 
you skeered it gwine bus*?” 

“Doan* make no difference to me, Black 
Rabbit, not a mite of difference. Me an’ my 
folks kin swim, an’ ef de levee break, dem 
what can’t swim er climb a tree, gwine get 
dere come-upens.” Wid dat Mister Musk- 
rat dive down in a hole chucklin’ ’way to 
’isself, kaze he know ain’t nary rabbit kin 
swim er climb a tree. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t say a word to 
Brother Jack till dey gits back to Mis’ 
Hare’s house. “Ef I wuz you, Brer J ack,” 
says he, “I’d kind o’ study on what Brer 
Muskrat said. It doan’ look good to me.” 
An’ off he put th’oo de wood till he come to 
’is own home. 

Mollie Cottontail an’ Li’l Black Rabbit 
talk over de matter till mos’ mornin’, an’ 
dey ’low somethin’ gotta be done. Las’ 
spring de high water come ’bout half-way 
up de hill afore it start a-f ailin’. De nex’ 


224 


WHEN THE LEVEE BROKE 


time it might come higher, an’ dere wa’n’t 
much more dan ’nuff room fer all de ani- 
mals de las’ time. Ain’t nobody never 
kotch Li’l Black Rabbit ’sleep yit, an’ he 
boun’, ef de levee break dis year, he gwine 
have some place where ’im an’ all de family 
kin keep dere feets dry. So nex’ mornin’ 
bright an’ early he roust out all de little 
chillun, an’ arter breakfuss he tell ’em all 
to roll up dere sleeves, an’ turn up dere 
pants, kaze dey all got a right smart heap 
of work to do afore de sun go down. 

Right back of Li’l Black Rabbit’s house 
dere wuz a big ole oak-tree what blowed 
down de time of de big win’. It done fell 
clear of de stump, an’ ain’t got more dan 
’nuff limbs lef ’ on it so ’twould ride steady 
on de water widout turnin’ over. 

Li’l Black Rabbit set all de chillun to 
chewin’ off de little branches so de log 
wouldn’ hang in de trees when it gits afloat, 
an’ ’im an’ Mollie Cottontail dey hunts 


225 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


’roun’ till dey fin’ a place whar de wood all 
rotten so dey kin dig out a good big holler, 
big ’miff fer all de chillun, an’ big ’miff fer 
a lot of yaller yams what he fixin’ to carry 
’long so dey all won’t starve to death. 

By de time dey gits all th’oo, an’ got de 
holler all fix up.wid soft moss, an’ de yaller 
yams all pile up in de new house, Ole Moon 
jess peekin’ ’er head up over de trees. Mol- 
lie Cottontail hustle in de house an’ fix up 
de supper, an’ Li’l Black Rabbit he call all 
de chillun ’roun’ ’im. 

“Now you all listen right good,” he says, 
“kaze I’m gwine tell you what I been study- 
in’ ’bout, an’ why I been fixin’ up dis yere 
ole oak log. Me an’ Mis’ Hare’s brother 
Jack been down to de big river, an’ what 
you s’pose we see? We see Ole Mister 
Muskrat an’ de whole Muskrat family dig- 
gin’ in de levee bank, jess ez hard ez dey 
kin. Ain’t gwine be long afore de whole 
levee gwine bus’ wide open, an’ when de 


226 


WHEN THE LEYEE BROKE 


high water come, all of dese yere animals in 
de naberhood gwine hunt de high spots fer 
to keep out of de water. De water gwine 
come up clean to de top of de hill dis year, 
an’ a mighty lot of animals gwine drown fer 
sho’. Brer Fox an’ Brer Wolf dey kin run 
fas’, an’ dey kin git away right at de firs’. 
Brer Coon an’ Brer B’ar dey kin climb de 
trees. Brer Bullfrog an’ Ole Mud-Turkle 
dey kin swim. De Rabbit family gotta do 
some studyin’ er dey gwine be kotch bad. 
When you hear me yell, you all run fer de 
oak log an’ pop down in de hole what me 
an’ you’ mammy dug, an’ dere you stay till 
we tell you to come out. Doan’ do no fussin’, 
an’ doan’ do no scramblin’ ’roun’, jess sit 
an’ wait.” 

All de chillun say dey gwine min’ Li’l 
Black Rabbit sho’, an’ dey better had, kaze 
ef dey doan’ jump when he tell ’em to, he 
say he gwine bus’ ’em ’longside de head wid 
a big stick. 


15 — Little Black Rabbit 


227 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


De chillun ain’t no more dan got dere 
prayers said an’ cover up good in bed, when 
Li’l Black Rabbit hear somethin’ beatin’ on 
de do’. He open de do’ right quick, an’ 
dere was Ole Blinkin’ Squintin’ Screech- 
Owl. 

‘ ‘ Run quick ez you kin, Black Rabbit. De 
levee done bus’ wide open an’ here come de 
high water,” says Ole Screech-Owl. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ’low it mighty kin’ of 
Ole Screech-Owl fer to warn ’im ’bout de 
levee, an’ he say he got ev’ything all fix up 
fer de high water, an’ ’im an’ ’is family 
ain’t gwine git hurt er git drownded nohow. 
Mollie Cottontail an’ Li’l Black Rabbit 
roust out all de chillun an’ git ’em all safe 
an’ soun’ in de holler of de big oak log, an’ 
dere dey stay waitin’ fer what gwine hap- 
pen. Ain’t long afore yere come de water 
creepin’ up de side of de hill, gittin’ closer, 
an’ closer, an’ gittin’ higher, an’ higher. 
Firs’ de log begin lif ’in’ a little bit, ’n’en it 


228 


WHEN THE LEVEE BROKE 


begin teeterin' a little bit, 'n'en it begin 
rockin' a little bit, an' ain't long afore de 
water ketch a good holt an' sweep de log 
out in de stream what runnin' pas'. 

De big log hole steady an' doan' turn 
over, 'count of de limbs what been lef' on 
it, an' ain't long afore all dem little Rabbit 
Chilian settin' in a row enjoyin' of de sights. 

Li'l Black Rabbit got plenty yaller yams, 
an' dey keeps on sailin’, an' sailin', till one 
day de log run agroun' in a big cane-brake. 
Li'l Black Rabbit an' Mollie Cottontail 
knows dat yere dey is, an' yere dey gotta 
stay till de high water go down. So off dey 
puts — Li'l Black Rabbit one way an' Mollie 
Cottontail t 'udder way, huntin' fer a good 
place to set up housekeepin'. Ain't long 
afore yere come Mollie Cottontail hollerin' 
fer Li'l Black Rabbit: 

“What you fin', Mollie Cottontail?" says 
Li'l Black Rabbit. 

“Got de fines' house you ever did see," 


229 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


says Mollie Cottontail. “De only trouble is 
de house all full up wid dem pesky musk- 
rats.’ ’ 

Li’l Black Rabbit say he fix de muskrats, 
if Mollie Cottontail show him de place. 
Sho’ ’nuff, dere wuz de fines/ house he ever 
see, an’ sho’ ’nuff de house wuz all cluttered 
up wid muskrats. 

Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t waste no time on 
dem muskrats. He make a pass at ’em wid 
a big stick, an’ dey all duck down in de hole 
laughin’. Dere dey is laughin’ an’ holler- 
in’, an’ makin’ fun of Li’l Black Rabbit. 
Ain’t no use tryin’ fer to poke ’em out, kaze 
de hole too crooked. Ain’t no use tryin’ fer 
to drown ’em out, kaze muskrats lives in de 
water ennyhow. Ain’t no use tryin’ fer to 
burn ’em out, kaze de grass too wet. Ef 
Li’l Black Rabbit ain’t had a can of snuff 
in ’is pocket, what he been fixin’ to carry 
over to Ole Mis’ Hare, he never would have 
got dem muskrats out nohow. He jess reach 


230 


WHEN THE LEYEE BROKE 


down in ’is pocket an’ open up de snuff an’ 
pour it out on a piece of bark, an’ set it 
down in front of de hole. ’N’en he take a 
long breff an’ give a good blow, an’ Mollie 
Cottontail she take a long breff an’ she give 
a good blow. 

In jess about a pair of minits, de hole 
start a-b’ilin’ out muskrats: big muskrats, 
an’ li’l muskrats, an’ grandaddy muskrats 
wid long gray whiskers, an’ li’l young 
muskrats widout no whiskers a-tall. Ev’y 
las’ one of ’em sneezin’, an’ crying an’ cry- 
in’, an’ sneezin’, ez hard ez dey kin. Dat 
sho’ wuz strong snuff, an’ ’twa’n’t long 
afore dere wuzn’t nary muskrat on de place. 

De house wuz good an’ dry, an’ de eatin’ 
good out in de cane-brake, an’ dere de whole 
Rabbit family stay till it come fall, an’ de 
nights start gittin cole. 

One day Li’l Black Rabbit say, < ‘ Well, 
chillun, we all had nice vacation, but it mos’ 
time to be gittin’ back home.” De nex’ 


231 


LITTLE BLACK RABBIT 


mornin’ bright an’ early dey pack up dere 
traps an’ off dey start. Dey walk, an’ dey 
walk, an’ dey res’, an’ dey res’, an’ ain’t 
long afore dey comes to de big swamp what 
is over de hill from Li’l Black Rabbit’s 
house, when all of a sudden Billie Pink-Eye 
holler out : 

“Ef dat ain’t Brer Coon settin’ up on a 
log fishin’!” 

Sho’ ’twuz Brer Coon, an’ he sho’ wuz 
glad to see Li’l Black Rabbit an’ Mollie 
Cottontail an’ all de chillun. Brer Coon 
’scort Li’l Black Rabbit back to ’is ole 
house an’ ’n’en he run an’ tell all de nabers 
dat Li’l Black Rabbit back home. Yere dey 
all come a-runnin’. Brer Fox, an’ Brer 
Wolf, an’ Brer B’ar, an’ all de res’ of ’em 
what Li’l Black Rabbit know. De las’ of 
all come Brer Bullfrog; two hops an’ a 
jump, jess like he alius does. He keep on 
hoppin’, an’ he keep on jumpin’, an’ he 
alius gits where he gwine. 


232 


WHEN THE LEVEE BROKE 


De nabers fix up a big dinner party, an’ 
dey all make speeches to tell Li’l Black 
Rabbit how glad dey is dat he got back 
home safe an’ soun’. When dey all gone 
home, an’ de place all been cleared up, Li’l 
Black Rabbit set ’isself down in de big 
cheer an’ look all ’roun’. 

“Mollie Cottontail,” he say, “dere ain’t 
no use talkin’, de folks what you knows real 
well, an’ what you done been raised up wid, 
dey is de bes’ fren’s in de whole world arter 
all.” 

An’ Mollie Cottontail she say: “Ain’t dat 
de troof ?” 

The End 


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